Survivor Risk
Continue Reading
This study demonstrated that the metabolic abnormalities found among survivors of testicular cancer include increases in blood pressure and LDL and total cholesterol levels. Other metabolic abnormalities include lower rates of decreased HDL levels and abdominal obesity, which researchers suggest might be the result of shifts in fat metabolism and fat distribution. They also note that hypogonadism and inflammation coexist with these changes. Thus, prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors is higher among testicular cancer survivors, even though they might not totally conform to criteria for metabolic syndrome.
“Nurses are well suited to address these issues to survivors, as oncologists are usually focused on the risk of cancer recurrence. Nurses can talk about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise. They can screen for obesity, symptoms of low testosterone, and encourage smokers to quit smoking. They can provide significant assistance to survivors of testicular cancer facing cardiovascular disease risk as time goes on,” Dr Zaid said.
Reference
1. Zaid MA, Gathirua-Mwangi WG, Fung C, et al; Platinum Study Group. Clinical and genetic risk factors for adverse metabolic outcomes in North American testicular cancer survivors. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2018;16(3):257-265.
