Dr. Feldman began by reflecting on the history of testicular cancer treatment and the dramatic shift brought about by cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Key takeaways included:
Before cisplatin, metastatic testicular cancer was often fatal, with most patients not surviving
The introduction of cisplatin is considered one of the greatest medical advances of the 20th century
Survival rates for metastatic disease improved from roughly 20% to nearly 80%
While highly effective, cisplatin is associated with significant short- and long-term side effects, making toxicity reduction an ongoing priority
