Currently, testicular cancer patients receive medical follow-up for many years after undergoing chemo-therapy. The latest research findings indicate that this follow-up may no longer be necessary after two years.
In 2012, Oneball supported and funded a proposal to create a database and registry of patients with testicular cancer where medical professionals could assess patient outcomes, prognostic factors and better delineate clinical questions that are were unclear. The latest research study to use the database was the Conditional Survival of Patients with Metastatic Testicular Germ Cell Tumors Treated With First-Line Curative Therapy, which found that CT scans are no longer needed for testicular cancer patients two years after undergoing chemo-therapy.
The study found that the biggest jump in probability of survival happens in the first two years after chemo-therapy. Specifically, it found that conditional overall survival after two years improved by two per cent in the favourable risk group, by five per cent in the intermediate risk group and 22 per cent in the poor risk group.
As to what these results show, study co-author, and Oneball VP of Health, Igor Stukalin explains that they demonstrate, “the probability of MT-GCT patients staying alive is excellent after surviving and remaining disease free for over two years after diagnosis, regardless of their initial risk stratification.”
This discovery should not be understated. Corresponding author of the study, and Oneball Board of Director, Dr. Daniel Heng touches on the significance and impact of this discovery, saying, “this study has implications on how patients are managed after receiving curative first line therapy for MT-GCT. The results display that CT scans may not be needed after two years post-chemotherapy, which could change the way that we follow our patients around the world.”
Oneball is proud to have supported such an important research study. The results of this study will positively impact testicular cancer patients around the globe. Hopefully, this finding will open the door for further collaboration and cancer-based research opportunities.
To read the full Conditional Survival of Patients with Metastatic Testicular Germ Cell Tumors Treated With First-Line Curative Therapy article, click here.
