Combined seminoma/non-seminoma should be considered as intermediate grade germ cell cancer (GCC)

During twenty years of Cisplatin-based therapy the face of nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumors is still changing: an evaluation of presentation, management, predictive factors and survival

PURPOSE

To assess the changing presentation and treatment of nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumors (NSGCT) and to investigate predictive factors for the status of metastasis at diagnosis and on relapse and death.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective record review of 147 patients that underwent inguinal orchiectomy from 1987-2007. Follow-up data was available for 102 patients (median follow-up: 80 months (0-243); 96 patients alive).

RESULTS

Mean patients age increased (p = 0.015) and more patients were diagnosed in clinical stage I (CSI) (p = 0.040). The fraction of yolk sac (YS) elements inclined (p = 0.030) and pT2 tumors increased (p < 0.001). Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) declined whereas more patients were treated with chemotherapy (p < 0.001; p = 0.004). There was an increase in relapse free (RFS) and cancer specific survival (CSS) due to an improvement in patients with disseminated disease (p = 0.014; p < 0.001). The presence of YS and teratoma elements showed a reduction in the odds ratio (OR) for metastasis at diagnosis (p = 0.002, OR: 0.262; p = 0.009, OR: 0.428) whereas higher pT-stage was associated to their presence (p = 0.039). Patients with disseminated disease (CS > I) showed a declined CSS compared to CSI patients (p = 0.055). The presence of YS elements was associated to an improved RFS (p = 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

In our single institution study the face of NSGCT markedly changed over 20 years even after the introduction of Cisplatin-based chemotherapy. These changes were accompanied by an improvement in RFS and CSS. When dealing with NSGCT patients such observations now and in the future should be taken into account.

The changing presentation of germ cell tumours of the testis between 1983 and 2002

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively investigate the presentation of germ cell tumours (GCTs) of the testis in terms of stage or histology, as the incidence of this disease in increasing.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients diagnosed with GCT of the testis between 1983 and 2002 were categorised into three periods depending on the date of diagnosis of the GCT, and the presentational characteristics assessed. RESULTS There was a significant increase in the proportion of patients presenting with stage I disease (59% to 78%) and seminoma (43% to 58%) over this period. There was also a significant reduction in the size of the primary tumour (5 to 4 cm).

CONCLUSION

A greater proportion of patients with GCT are presenting with stage I seminoma, the reasons for which are unclear, although earlier diagnosis through improved awareness of GCT may be important.

Multicenter study of human immunodeficiency virus-related germ cell tumors

PURPOSE

Testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) occur at increased frequency in men with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This multicenter study addresses the characteristics of these tumors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with HIV-related GCT were identified from six HIV treatment centers. The incidence was calculated from the center with the most complete linked oncology and HIV databases.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients with HIV-related GCT were identified. The median age at GCT diagnosis was 34 years (range, 27 to 64 years). The median CD4 cell count was 315/mm3 (range, 90 to 960/mm3) at this time. The histologic classification was seminoma in 26 patients (74%) and nonseminomatous GCT in nine patients (26%). Twenty-one patients (60%) had stage I disease and 14 patients had metastatic disease. Overall six patients relapsed, three died from GCT, and seven died from HIV disease, resulting in a 2-year overall survival rate of 81%. HIV-related seminoma occurred more frequently than in the age- and sex-matched HIV-negative population, with a relative risk of 5.4 (95% confidence interval, 3.35 to 8.10); however, nonseminomatous GCT did not occur more frequently, and there was no change in the incidence of GCT since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

CONCLUSION

Testicular seminoma occurs significantly more frequently in HIV-positive men than in the matched control population. Patients with HIV-related GCTs present and should be treated in a similar manner to those in the HIV-negative population. After a median follow-up of 4.6 years, 9% of the patients died from GCT. Most of the mortality relates to HIV infection.

Testis conserving chemotherapy in germ cell cancer: its potential to increase understanding of the biology and treatment of carcinoma-in-situ

Prompted by recognition of the potential of chemotherapy to increase the success of testis conserving surgery in patients with germ cell cancer, background and outcome data are reviewed and their contribution to the ongoing debate about how germ cell cancer develops discussed. The review is based on three previous studies of: a) time trends in tumour size in 578 personal series of all stages of testis cancer treated since 1978; b) impact of chemotherapy on actuarial risk of tumours in contralateral testis examined on 1221 patients treated in trials through the Anglian Germ Cell Cancer Consortium; and c) testes conservation attempted using chemotherapy in 78 patients. Since 1978 tumour size has decreased from 4.8 to 3.0 cms while cure has gone from 77 to 97%. There was no overall long term reduction in second cancers beyond 10 years in stage 1 patients after orchidectomy alone compared to stage 1 or metastatic disease patients receiving chemotherapy though the incidence was non significantly lower up to 10 years particularly in those patients receiving etoposide based combination. Testis conservation was initially successful in 28 of 78 (36%). An additional 25 (32%) had no viable cancer in orchidectomy specimen. In the 28 primary tumours cured by chemotherapy there was a 26% late relapse rate between 5 and 10 years (all cured by orchidectomy) compared to less than 5% in those cured with established metastases. In conclusion, testis conservation with chemotherapy is safe and feasible, though relapse is too frequent for routine service use. Confirmation of the high frequency of late relapse by others has raised the question whether these recurrences are due to post pubertal events reinducing CIS in intrauterine oestrogen primed germ cells and highlights the potential of testes conservation studies to better understand germ cell cancer development.

Risk factors for testicular germ cell tumours by histological tumour type. United Kingdom Testicular Cancer Study Group

There are two main histological groups of testicular germ cell tumours, which may have different risk factors. Some authors have analysed potential risk factors by histological group but few consistent differences have been identified. In this paper we examine risk factors for pure seminoma and other tumours using data from the United Kingdom case control study of testicular cancer. Seven hundred and ninety-four cases were included in the study, each with a matched control; 400 cases had pure seminoma tumours, and 394 had other testicular tumours. The risk of seminoma associated with undescended testis was slightly higher than that for other tumours (odds ratio of 5.3 compared with 3.0). When split at the median age at diagnosis, this difference was greater in men aged 32 and over (odds ratio of 11.9 compared with 5.1) than in the younger men (3.0 compared with 2.5). Risks associated with testicular or groin injuries were higher in the non-seminoma group, as was the risk for a history of sexually transmitted disease. The protective effect of a late puberty was more marked for tumours of other histologies. Some differences were also detected for participation in sports. Whilst some of the differences detected may have arisen by chance, the stronger association between undescended testis and pure seminoma has been identified by a number of other studies and may reflect a genuine difference in aetiology.