It's great to know that others may now be able to benefit from the trial's findings. I'd already had to have time off for surgery, so when I was offered the chance to have less chemo but with no greater risk the cancer would return, I jumped at it.“The side effects of the treatment were really difficult, but I was straight back on the pitch as soon as it finished—5 years on and I'm still fighting fit. The item(s) has been successfully added to " For many of us there is a fear of what 3-cycle BEP means to quality of life in the short and long term. That's why it's such good news to see that we can cut down the amount of treatment we give.“Providing men with a kinder treatment option linked to fewer side effects could make a huge difference to their quality of life.

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This combination may also be used with other drugs or treatments or to treat other types of cancer. Testicular cancer can be prevented from coming back using half the amount of chemotherapy that is currently used, according to UK researchers.Their new trial showed that giving men one cycle of chemotherapy was as effective at preventing men’s testicular cancer from coming back as the two cycles used as standard.“This new trial is already changing clinical practice on a global scale”Crucially, lowering the overall exposure to chemotherapy reduced the debilitating side effects which can have a lifelong impact on patients’ health, noted the researchers.They highlighted that the study, the 111 trial, has already begun to change clinical practice, reducing the number of hospital admissions, and lowering the costs of treatment.The researchers noted that patients were currently offered two cycles of chemotherapy after surgery to destroy cancer cells that may have already spread or a “watch-and-wait” approach.Survival rates were very high, but as men were often diagnosed young, those choosing to have chemotherapy may have to live with side effects for many decades, said the study authors.In their new trial, patients were given one three-week cycle of a chemotherapy known as BEP – a combination of the drugs bleomycin, etoposide and the platinum agent cisplatin.The researchers looked at the percentage of men whose cancer returned within two years of being treated with one cycle and compared these relapse rates with data from previous studies in patients given two cycles.“Providing men with a kinder treatment option linked to fewer side effects could make a huge difference”They found that only three men – 1.3% – saw their testicular cancer return after finishing treatment – a nearly identical rate to previous studies using two cycles of BEP chemotherapy.In the new study, 41% of men receiving one cycle experienced one or more serious side effects while receiving treatment, such as an increased risk of infection, sepsis or vomiting.However, only a small number – six patients or 2.6% – experienced long-term side effects, such as damage to their hearing, noted the authors.Study author Professor Robert Huddart, from the Institute of Cancer Research and a consultant in urological oncology at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, predicted the trial would change “clinical practice on a global scale”.He said: “Men with testicular cancer who are at high risk of recurrence have generally been treated with two cycles of chemotherapy – but our new study found that one cycle was enough to stop their tumour from coming back.“Reducing the overall dose of chemotherapy could spare young men who have their whole lives ahead of them from long-term side effects, and also means they will need fewer hospital visits for their treatment,” he said.He added: “Reducing the number of cycles and the dosage of chemotherapy for testicular cancer could save the NHS money, and free up valuable hospital time and resources.”Martin Ledwick, Cancer Research UK’s head information nurse, said: “Thanks to advances in treatments, survival for testicular cancer is very high, but the chemotherapy can cause unpleasant, sometimes lasting side effects.“That’s why it’s such good news to see that we can cut down the amount of treatment we give,” he noted.“Providing men with a kinder treatment option linked to fewer side effects could make a huge difference to their quality of life,” he added.“As more and more people survive cancer, it’s essential to carry out studies like this, which look at how to improve things for people living with and after the disease.”  Wandai Maposa, haemophilia lead clinical nurse specialist at St George’s Hospital… The 111 trial has already begun to change clinical practice, reducing the number of hospital admissions and lowering the costs of treatment.The trial, led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, involved nearly 250 men with early-stage testicular cancer at high risk of their cancer returning after surgery.