Clint Cary, M.D., MPH, explains how breakthrough treatments at Indiana University have raised testicular cancer survival rates.
Transcript:
We’re very fortunate in the testicular cancer world. Our survival rates are extremely high. And a lot of that is work that was done here at Indiana University back in the 70s and 80s, in a very multidisciplinary manner between medical oncology coming up with very effective chemotherapy regimens and also our urology colleagues coming up with innovative and very fruitful ways in how to do the surgery to render patients disease free. We’ve taken the survival rates from 5% for metastatic cancer up into the 90% range for a lot of patients, and so a lot of that leads to men who are surviving for the remaining parts of their lives.
Dr. Cary says open surgery allows patients to avoid chemotherapy and improve their quality of life.
Transcript:
The men in this study went through this operation and have an excellent chance of being cured with this surgery alone with never having a relapse and never needing any chemotherapy. And so that really impacts patients’ long-term quality of life. Sure, going through surgery, there’s a short-term impact on the quality of life. There’s a recovery period that happens for four to six to eight weeks, but the longer-term benefit from this surgery — to be able to avoid chemotherapy — is where the biggest benefit comes from patients.
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