Patients with testicular cancer (TC) given chemotherapy have increased short-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) death, according to a study of 15,006 patients with testicular nonseminoma, including 6,909 who initially received chemotherapy and 8,097 who received surgery. Researchers found:

• Significantly increased CVD mortality occurred after chemotherapy [standardized mortality rate (SMR), 1.36], but not surgery [SMR, 0.81].

• Significant excess deaths after chemotherapy were restricted to the first year after TC diagnosis (SMR, 5.31) and included cerebrovascular disease (SMR, 21.72) and heart disease (SMR, 3.45).

• Increased CVD mortality after chemotherapy was confined to the first year after TC diagnosis [hazard ratio (HR), 4.86]; distant disease and older age at diagnosis were independent risk factors.

Citation: Fung C, Fossa SD, Milano MT, Sahasrabudhe DM, Peterson DR, Travis LB. Cardiovascular disease mortality after chemotherapy or surgery for testicular nonseminoma: a population-based study. [Published online ahead of print August 3, 2015]. J Clin Oncol. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.60.3654.