These patients are mainly young men,” stated Clifford A. Hudis, MD, ASCO President, commenting on a cohort study of surveillance for stage I seminoma at a press conference held before the Annual Meeting. “For these selected patients, neither chemotherapy nor radiation therapy is necessary, sparing them from the harmful side effects of these treatments without diminishing their chances for a long and healthy life. With surveillance alone as a strategy, only 4 out of every 1,000 patients will die over a decade,” he noted.

“The study suggests that more treatment is probably not necessary for stage I seminoma patients. These data should encourage doctors and patients to opt for surveillance and avoid unnecessary treatment,” Dr. Hudis commented. ■

Disclosure: Dr. Hudis reported no potential conflicts of interest.