Psychosocial Sequelae in Long-Term Survivors of Testicular Cancer

Eighty-eight men with a diagnosis of either seminomatous or nonseminomatous testicular cancer were recruited for intensive psychosocial assessment by personal interview and psychological testing. The interviews were conducted, on the average, 45 months after treatment had ended. The men experienced significant depletion of energy, increased fear of cancer, interference with sleep and cognitive function, and sexual difficulties during and after treatment. No significant differences in these measures were found between tumor types. A small subset of patients continued to experience substantial difficulties in these areas. The men's scores on psychological tests did not reflect significant levels of syrnptomatology in the sample as a whole.