Increased aneuploidy in spermatozoa from testicular tumour patients after chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin

Testicular cancer is the most common neoplasia occurring in the young male population. The FEB (cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin) adjuvant chemother apy usually proposed after orchidectomy in non seminomatous tumours, and in metastatic seminomas, has improved the long-term survival of these patient s, Following an azoospermic period, sperm cell recovery is generally observ ed after treatment delivery, but little is known about the genetic conseque nces on these new spermatozoa, To estimate the chromosomal consequences of this chemotherapy on sperm cells during the period of recovery of spermatog enesis, sperm cell aneuploidy was studied in testicular cancer patients, at 6-18 months after FEB adjuvant chemotherapy delivery, using fluorescence i n-situ hybridization (FISH) of chromosomes 7, 16, 18, X and Y with specific DNA probes. A significant increase in the frequency of diploidy and disomy for chromosomes 16, 18 and XY was observed in treated patients compared wi th a healthy control group. Spermatozoa aneuploidy occurring during the spe rmatogenesis recovery period might be a possible side effect of the FEB reg imen, Thus, practitioners should be advised to provide counselling about th e need for an appropriate duration of contraception. Moreover, genetic coun selling should be offered in cases of pregnancy occurring soon after the en d of chemotherapy.