Abstract
In low volume testicular cancer, (clinical stage A/B1) retroperitoneal lymph node dissection has maintained its therapeutic benefit while minimizing morbidity with the reduction of the surgical template from a full bilateral dissection to a unilateral nerve-sparring surgery. The optimal treatment for low stage disease is largely patient driven with surgery and surveillance considered the primary treatment modalities. In the post chemotherapy population, patients with complete radiographic resolution of retroperitoneal disease are observed at Indiana University as the relapse rate in this population is ~5%. Residual masses after chemotherapy should be resected. A modified post chemotherapy dissection is adequate in low volume disease restricted to the primary landing zone of the affected testicle. In chemo-refractory disease, aggressive surgery provides a 5 year survival of 31% for patients with active cancer. Excluding chemo-naïve patients, late relapse disease is managed surgically with 50% being cured of disease.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Richie JP, Kantoff PW (1991) Is adjuvant chemotherapy necessary for patients with stage B1 testicular cancer? J Clin Oncol 9:1393
Rabbani F, Sheinfeld J, Farivar-Mohseni H et al (2001) Low-volume nodal metastases detected at retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for testicular cancer: pattern and prognostic factors for relapse. J Clin Oncol 19:2020
Williams SD, Stablein DM, Einhorn LH et al (1987) Immediate adjuvant chemotherapy versus observation with treatment at relapse in pathological stage II testicular cancer. N Engl J Med 317:1433
Hartlapp JH, Weissbach L, Bussar-Maatz R (1987) Adjuvant chemotherapy in nonseminomatous testicular tumour stage II. Int J Androl 10:277
Donohue JP, Thornhill JA, Foster RS et al (1993) Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for clinical stage A testis cancer (1965 to 1989): modifications of technique and impact on ejaculation. J Urol 149:237
Donohue JP, Thornhill JA, Foster RS et al (1995) Clinical stage B non-seminomatous germ cell testis cancer: the Indiana University experience (1965–1989) using routine primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Eur J Cancer 31A:1599
Sweeney CJ, Hermans BP, Heilman DK et al (2000) Results and outcome of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for clinical stage I embryonal carcinoma–predominant testis cancer. J Clin Oncol 18:358
Beck SD, Foster RS, Bihrle R et al (2005) Does the histology of nodal metastasis predict systemic relapse after retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in pathological stage B1 germ cell tumors? J Urol 174:1287
Beck SD, Foster RS, Bihrle R et al (2005) Impact of the number of positive lymph nodes on disease-free survival in patients with pathological stage B1 nonseminomatous germ cell tumor. J Urol 174:143
Behnia M, Foster R, Einhorn LH et al (2000) Adjuvant bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin in pathological stage II non-seminomatous testicular cancer. the Indiana University experience. Eur J Cancer 36:472
Motzer RJ, Sheinfeld J, Mazumdar M et al (1995) Etoposide and cisplatin adjuvant therapy for patients with pathologic stage II germ cell tumors. J Clin Oncol 13:2700
Foster RS, McNulty A, Rubin LR et al (1994) Fertility considerations in nerve-sparing retroperitoneal lymph-node dissection. World J Urol 12:136
Heidenreich A, Albers P, Hartmann M et al (2003) Complications of primary nerve sparing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis: experience of the German Testicular Cancer Study Group. J Urol 169:1710
Jewett MA (1990) Nerve-sparing technique for retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy in testis cancer. Urol Clin North Am 17:449
Baniel J, Foster RS, Rowland RG et al (1994) Complications of primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. J Urol 152:424
Amato RJ, Ro JY, Ayala AG et al (2004) Risk-adapted treatment for patients with clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumor of the testis. Urology 63:144
Bohlen D, Borner M, Sonntag RW et al (1999) Long-term results following adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with clinical stage I testicular nonseminomatous malignant germ cell tumors with high risk factors. J Urol 161:1148
Chevreau C, Mazerolles C, Soulie M et al (2004) Long-term efficacy of two cycles of BEP regimen in high-risk stage I nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumors with embryonal carcinoma and/or vascular invasion. Eur Urol 46:209
Oliver RT, Ong J, Shamash J et al (2004) Long-term follow-up of Anglian germ cell cancer group surveillance versus patients with Stage 1 nonseminoma treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Urology 63:556
Pont J, Albrecht W, Postner G et al (1996) Adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk clinical stage I nonseminomatous testicular germ cell cancer: long-term results of a prospective trial. J Clin Oncol 14:441
Debono DJ, Heilman DK, Einhorn LH et al (1997) Decision analysis for avoiding postchemotherapy surgery in patients with disseminated nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. J Clin Oncol 15:1455
Donohue JP, Foster RS (1994) Management of retroperitoneal recurrences: Seminoma and Nonseminoma. In: Urologic clinics of north america, vol. 21, pp 761–772
Vergouwe Y, Steyerberg EW, de Wit R et al (2003) External validity of a prediction rule for residual mass histology in testicular cancer: an evaluation for good prognosis patients. Br J Cancer 88:843
Loehrer PJ Sr, Hui S, Clark S et al (1986) Teratoma following cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy for nonseminomatous germ cell tumors: a clinicopathological correlation. J Urol 135:1183
Tait D, Peckham MJ, Hendry WF et al (1984) Post-chemotherapy surgery in advanced non-seminomatous germ-cell testicular tumours: the significance of histology with particular reference to differentiated (mature) teratoma. Br J Cancer 50:601
Stenning SP, Parkinson MC, Fisher C et al (1998) Postchemotherapy residual masses in germ cell tumor patients: content, clinical features, and prognosis. Medical research council testicular tumour working party. Cancer 83:1409
Fizazi K, Tjulandin S, Salvioni R et al (2001) Viable malignant cells after primary chemotherapy for disseminated nonseminomatous germ cell tumors: prognostic factors and role of postsurgery chemotherapy–results from an international study group. J Clin Oncol 19:2647
Einhorn LH, Williams SD, Mandelbaum I et al (1981) Surgical resection in disseminated testicular cancer following chemotherapeutic cytoreduction. Cancer 48:904
Donohue JP, Zachary JM, Maynard BR (1982) Distribution of nodal metastases in nonseminomatous testis cancer. J Urol 128:315
Foster RS, Donohue JP, Bihrle R (1991) Stage A nonseminomatous testis carcinoma: rationale and results of nerve-sparing retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Urol Int 46:294
Wood DP Jr, Herr HW, Heller G et al (1992) Distribution of retroperitoneal metastases after chemotherapy in patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. J Urol 148:1812
Rabbani F, Goldenberg SL, Gleave ME et al (1998) Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for post-chemotherapy residual masses: is a modified dissection and resection of residual masses sufficient? Br J Urol 81:295
Oldenburg J, Alfsen GC, Lien HH et al (2003) Postchemotherapy retroperitoneal surgery remains necessary in patients with nonseminomatous testicular cancer and minimal residual tumor masses. J Clin Oncol 21:3310
Beck SDW, Foster RS, Bihrle R et al (2005) Is full bilateral retroperitoneal lymph node dissection always necessary for post chemotherapy resdual tumor? AUA, San Antonia Texas, Abstract
Donohue JP, Leviovitch I, Foster RS et al (1998) Integration of surgery and systemic therapy: results and principles of integration. Semin Urol Oncol 16:65
McKiernan JM, Motzer RJ, Bajorin DF et al (2003) Reoperative retroperitoneal surgery for nonseminomatous germ cell tumor: clinical presentation, patterns of recurrence, and outcome. Urology 62:732
Beck SD, Foster RS, Bihrle R et al (2005) Outcome analysis for patients with elevated serum tumor markers at postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. J Clin Oncol 23:6149
George DW, Foster RS, Hromas RA et al (2003) Update on late relapse of germ cell tumor: a clinical and molecular analysis. J Clin Oncol 21:113
Dieckmann KP, Albers P, Classen J et al (2005) Late relapse of testicular germ cell neoplasms: a descriptive analysis of 122 cases. J Urol 173:824
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Beck, S.D.W., Foster, R.S. Long-term outcome of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in the management of testis cancer. World J Urol 24, 267–272 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-006-0060-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-006-0060-8