Osteoporosis Amongst Testicular Cancer Survivors: Long Term Follow-Up of the Veterans Affairs Health System

Nuphat Yodkhunnatham, Paul Riviere, Kshitij Pandit, Kylie Morgan, Margaret Meagher, Mai Dabbas, Tyler Nelson, Dhruv Puri, Kit Yuen, Jacob Taylor, Daniel Herchenhorn, Heather Hofflich, Tyler Stewart, Juan Javier-Desloges, Amirali Salmasi, Rana R. McKay, Sean Q. Kern, Frederick Millard, Brent Rose, Aditya Bagrodia*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Testicular cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy among young males and is associated with cure rates over 95%. However, the long-term health implications of treatments, such as the risk of osteoporosis, remain inadequately understood. This study aims to explore the incidence of osteoporosis in TC survivors and associated risk factors. Methods: This retrospective study utilized data from the Veterans Affairs (VA) national electronic health record system, identifying 1686 TC patients and 7412 matched noncancer controls. The incidence of osteoporosis was determined through diagnosis codes and osteoporosis medication prescriptions. Statistical analyses, including chi-squared tests, t-tests, and Cox proportional hazards models, were employed to evaluate risk factors. Results: TC survivors exhibited a significantly elevated hazard of developing osteoporosis (HR =2.18; 95% CI, 1.52-3.14; P < .001), which persisted after adjusting for covariates (HR = 1.58; 95% CI, 0.99-2.51; P = .013). There was no significant TC treatment-specific effect: neither radiation nor chemotherapy were associated with an increased hazard of osteoporosis in multivariable analysis. Conclusion: TC survivors face a higher hazard of osteoporosis, with age at diagnosis being a significant factor. These findings highlight the need for regular bone health monitoring in TC survivors. Future prospective studies are necessary to validate these results and better understand the mechanisms linking TC, hypogonadism, and osteoporosis risk.

Original languageEnglish
Article number102332
JournalClinical Genitourinary Cancer
Volume23
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2025
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Bone health
  • Germ cell tumor
  • Quality of life
  • Survivorship

Cite this