PERSISTENT HYPOMAGNESEMIA FOLLOWING CISPLATIN CHEMOTHERAPY FOR TESTICULAR CANCER

Abstract

Twenty-nine patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis were followed for a median of 1.9 yr (range, 0.3-3.6 yr) following completion of cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy. Of the 29 patients, 22 (76%) became hypomagnesemic during chemotherapy; of these, 11 (50%) have remained persistently hypomagnesemic for as long as 3 yr following discontinuation of cisplatin treatment. In the remaining patients, serum Mg levels returned to normal a median of 0.6 yr (range, 0.2-2.1 yr) after completion of chemotherapy. In 8 of 9 persistently hypomagnesemic patients studied, urinary Mg excretion was inappropriately elevated. Symptoms attributable to hypomagnesemia were rarely reported, although muscle cramps, twitching or mild tremor were noted by the most severely hypomagnesemic patients. Continued follow-up of these patients is required to determine the effects of chronic hypomagnesemia in man.