[Side-effects of polychemotherapy in metastatic testicular neoplasms (author's transl)]

25 Patients with metastatic non-seminomatous testicular neoplasms were treated by surgery and cytostatic therapy using a combination consisting of Velban, Bleomycin, Cis-Platinum and/or Ifosfamid. In 22 patients this procedure induced a persistant complete remission with a mean observation time of 23 months. 2 patients died because of post-surgical complications after a second-look-lymphadenectomy. They suffered from rapidly progressive tumor disease. One patient died in a septicemia during chemotherapy. Our experience is that morbidity of an effective chemotherapy should not be underestimated. Transient bone marrow suppression, anorexia, alopecia and hyperpigmentation are unavoidable. However, severe vomiting, disturbed electrolyte metabolism, hemorrhagic cystitis, anemia and septicemia can well be managed by respective supportive care. Septicemia, for instance, may be treated with appropriate antibiotics without inducing tubular necrosis. Supportive measures also will avoid severe chronic defects of ear and kidney function.