Dynamics of hormonal disorders following unilateral orchiectomy for a testicular tumor

Testicular tumors and their treatment interfere with homeostasis, hormonal status included. The aim of the study was to evaluate hormonal disorders of the pituitary-gonadal axis in men treated for testicular tumors. One hundred twenty-eight men treated for a unilateral testicular tumor at our institution were included. The hormonal status was prospectively evaluated in 62 patients before orchiectomy, 120 patients 1 month after orchiectomy and 110 patients at least 1 year after the treatment. The concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), testosterone (T), estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin were measured. The clinically significant testosterone deficiency was defined either as testosterone <2.31 ng/mL or testosterone within the range of 2.31-3.46 ng/mL but simultaneous with T/LH ratio ≤1. Changes in hormone levels were significant: LH and FSH rose in the course of observation, and the concentration of hCG, testosterone, estradiol decreased. PRL concentration was the lowest at 1 month after orchiectomy. In multivariate analysis, the risk of the clinically significant testosterone deficiency was 0.2107 (95% CI 0.1206-0.3419) prior to orchiectomy, 0.3894 (95% CI 0.2983-0.4889) 1 month after surgery and 0.4972 (95% CI 0.3951-0.5995) 1 year after the treatment. The estradiol concentration was elevated in 40% of patients with recently diagnosed testicular cancer and that was correlated with a higher risk of testosterone deficiency after the treatment completion. Hormonal disorders of the pituitary-gonadal axis in men treated for testicular tumors are frequent. The malignant tissue triggers paraneoplastic disorders that additionally disturb the hormonal equilibrium.