Single dose carboplatin

Hi again everyone. Just need some advice please. Husbands TC was a stage 1 seminoma. No signs of spreading anywhere and the consultant has suggested two forms of treatment. Firstly to have surveillance with blood tests every 3 months for two years, plus CT scans  every six months (I think. Still struggling to take this in tbh). Or to have a single dose of carboplatin with the same regular checks for the future. He described chemo as two or three days feeling a bit tired and nauseous but I think he might have played that down a bit. He's left it to my husband to decide but we really don't know what to do. He's taken so much time off work already for the orchidectomy and is worried about this going on for weeks. The consultant said that chemo would reduce chances of his TC recurring from 10-15% down to 3% so it sounds like an obvious choice but we both feel so anxious and confused. Can anyone please help with advice as to what this treatment is actually like and what they chose to do? Hubby is 62, a non smoker, and in reasonably good health 

  • Hello and thank you for your post,

    I am sorry to hear that your husband is diagnosed with testicular cancer.

    The current UK, European and US clinical guidance about how to treat a stage one seminoma cancer is to give 1 cycle of carboplatin after surgery in men where there is a risk that the cancer could recur. Having this can reduce the risk of the cancer coming back, your husband's doctor has given statistics to explain this. Also according to research men who have this treatment do not develop any serious health problems. Some men may develop mild nausea, but anti-sickness medication is given to stop this. Some men may feel a little tired for a few days, but your husband may find he can go to work the day after having it. 

    I hope this has helped with any decision your husband has to make. You would be welcome to get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Take care,

    Caroline 

  • Thank you for your reply Caroline. I posted elsewhere in the hope of a reply from someone who has actually had the treatment but no one has commented. The experiences I've seen on other sites suggest a great deal worse, with people having to take weeks off work and feeling  very unwell for several months after this single treatment which has really worried me, as well as an alarming number whose cancer recurred within a couple of years despite the odds being so low. Just wish we could talk to people who've been through it. 

  • Hi,

    To get to know if anyone on here has had it and what their experience is you should post on another area of the site, look to the left and scroll up a bit and you will see that posting somewhere else might be seen better by more people. 

    However, please be aware that how one person is on treatment does not mean it will be the same for anyone else. My reply above with the side effects was based upon clinical research.  Also remember that the doctor has said that having this will reduce his risk of the cancer coming back .

    Take care

    Caroline 

  • Hello. How did this go in the end? I'm 39 and have the same decision to make. The doctor told me my rate of recurrence would drop from 18% to 4% by taking the carboplatin single dose so it sounds like the sensible option. Thoughts anyone?