[Incidence of osteoporosis and aseptic femur head necrosis following complex therapy of germ cell testicular tumors].

Between the period of 1981 and 1991 at the National Institute of Oncology 1300 patients suffering from non-seminoma testicular cancer were treated by chemotherapy. Among them 19 cases of femoral head necrosis, one side or bilateral, were observed. Authors collected and compared the data of 16 patients of osteonecrosis and 28 without it. The aim of the study was the determination of the causes of osteonecrosis and searching for possible relation between antineoplastic therapy and osteoporosis. High alcohol consumption was found in 15 cases in the osteonecrotic group, versus one among the others. Bone mineral content measurement was performed by quantitative computed tomography. Average ages at the time of densitometry: osteonecrotic group 39.17, patients without osteonecrosis 33.91. The relative bone mineral content was found 65.94% in the osteonecrosis (A) group and 77.92% in the group without osteonecrosis. A significant difference was found in the level of serum calcium and the steroid dose applied during chemotherapy.