The Graying of Testis Cancer Patients: What Have We Learned?

Remarkable advances in testicular cancer therapy occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, leading to a new age in cancer treatment in which cure of metastatic cancer became possible with chemother-apy. The discovery of cisplatin ushered in an exciting era during which it was combined with other drugs, including vinblastine and bleomycin. These three drugs were the cornerstone of curable regimens in their day, only to be replaced rapidly with etoposide-containing combinations. The new regimens of bleomycin, etopo-side, and cisplatin (BEP) and etoposide plus cisplatin were quickly established. Ifosfamide and paclitaxel were also discovered to have activity and could cure patients who experienced treat-ment failure after first-line treatment. These discoveries were an affirmation that germ cell tumors truly served as a “model for a curable neoplasm.”1 The germ cell model established far more than just curative