Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40653940›Full record

ArticleClinical endocrinology2025

Testicular Function After Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors Treatment.

Andrea Boutros, Amanda Idan, Sue Sleiman, Feyrous Bacha, Ting Zhang, Veena Jayadev, Alexander M Menzies, Georgina V Long, David J Handelsman

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical endocrinology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Andrea BoutrosMelanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5336-5578
Amanda IdanAndrology Department, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
Sue SleimanClinical Andrology Laboratory, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
Feyrous BachaClinical Andrology Laboratory, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
Ting ZhangClinical Andrology Laboratory, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
Veena JayadevAndrology Department, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
Alexander M MenziesMelanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Georgina V LongMelanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
David J HandelsmanAndrology Department, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.

Funding

D.J.H., G.V.L. & A.M.M. were funded by individual NHMRC Investigator Grants.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the effects of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) on spermatogenesis and testicular endocrine function in reproductive-age men with melanoma.

designProspective, mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional cohort study. PATIENTS: Twenty-nine men aged 19-46 years undergoing ICI therapy for melanoma at two Australian centres between 2019 and 2024. Three patients were excluded due to subsequent gonadotoxic therapies. The remaining 26 were evaluable. MEASUREMENTS: Semen analysis and serum hormone levels (FSH, LH, testosterone) were assessed at baseline and after ICI exposure. Patients with prior cytotoxic chemotherapy or pelvic radiotherapy were excluded.

resultsAmong 26 evaluable patients, one man developed persistent azoospermia with marked serum FSH elevation. Overall, median total sperm output per ejaculate declined by 34% (193-127 million per ejaculate) and sperm concentration by 30% (61-43 million/mL), neither statistically significant before or after excluding the case of presumed autoimmune orchitis. On treatment, serum LH and testosterone remained stable while the increase in serum FSH (p = 0.04) was no longer significant after excluding the single man with auto-immune orchitis.

conclusionsICI treatment may be associated with minimal spermatogenic dysfunction, as reflected by modest reductions in sperm output and increased serum FSH levels, despite preserved serum LH and testosterone concentrations, but mostly due to a rare (4% prevalence) case of autoimmune orchitis. The unpredictability of these effects supports routine fertility preservation counselling in young men before ICI initiation.

Indexed as

Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsMelanomaTestisAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFollicle Stimulating HormoneHumansLongitudinal StudiesLuteinizing HormoneMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSemen AnalysisSpermatogenesisTestosteroneYoung AdultFollicle Stimulating HormoneImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsLuteinizing HormoneTestosteroneazoospermiacancer survivorshipimmune checkpoint inhibitorsmale fertilitymelanomareproductive toxicityspermatogenesissperm cryopreservation

Identifiers

PMID40653940
PMCPMC12492781

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.