Teratoma following cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy for nonseminomatous germ cell tumors: a clinicopathological correlation

Somatic-type Malignancies in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: A Clinicopathologic Study of 63 Cases

The development of somatic-type malignancies (SMs) in testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) is a rare but well-recognized phenomenon. We studied the pathologic features of 63 GCTs with SMs in the testis (n=22) or metastases (n=41) and correlated these features with clinical outcomes. The patients with SMs in the testis (median age, 26 y) were younger than those with metastatic SMs (median age, 38.5 y). The SMs consisted of carcinomas (n=21), sarcomas (n=21), primitive neuroectodermal tumors (n=15), nephroblastomas (n=3), and mixed tumors (n=3). Sarcoma was the most common SM in the testis (n=11), and most sarcomas were rhabdomyosarcomas (n=9). Carcinoma was the most common SM in metastases (n=20), and most carcinomas were adenocarcinomas (n=12). In metastases, carcinomatous SMs developed after a longer interval from the initial orchiectomy (median times, 213 mo) than sarcomatous SMs (median times, 68 mo). Patients with metastatic SMs had significantly poorer overall survival than those with SMs in the testis (5-y survival rate, 35% vs. 87%; P=0.011). Furthermore, patients with carcinomatous SMs had a significantly worse prognosis than those with sarcomatous or primitive neuroectodermal tumor SMs (5-y survival rates, 17%, 77%, and 73%, respectively; P=0.002), when the whole cohort, including testicular and metastatic SMs, were analyzed. Our results demonstrate that SMs in metastatic GCTs are associated with a significantly worse prognosis than those in the testis. Furthermore, the histologic subtype of SM has a significant effect on the clinical outcome, with the carcinomatous SM carrying the highest risk for mortality.

Testicular cancer: Biology to bedside

Testicular cancer is the first solid tumor with a remarkably high cure rate. This success was only made possible through collaborative efforts of basic and clinical research. Most patients with distant metastases can be cured. However, the majority of these patients are diagnosed at a young age, leaving many decades for the development of treatment-related complications. This has magnified the importance of research into survivorship issues after exposure to platinum-based chemotherapy. This research, along with research into newer biomarkers that will aid in the diagnosis and surveillance of patients and survivors of testicular cancer, will continue to advance the field and provide new opportunities for these patients. There also remains the need for further therapeutic options for patients who unfortunately do not respond to standard treatment regimens and ultimately die from this disease, including a cohort of patients with late relapses and platinum-refractory disease. Here we discuss the advancements in management that led to a highly curable malignancy, while highlighting difficult situations still left to solve as well as emerging research into novel biomarkers.

Advanced germ cell tumor patients undergoing post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection: Impact of residual teratoma on prognosis

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the histologic findings and clinical outcomes of post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for advanced germ cell tumor.

METHODS

We analyzed the medical records of 66 patients who underwent post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection between 2005 and 2019 at Tsukuba University Hospital.

RESULTS

The proportions of necrosis, teratoma, and viable germ cell tumor in the specimens were 62.1%, 36.4%, and 1.5%, respectively. The 5-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 82.3% and 91.3%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rate of patients with residual teratoma was significantly worse than that of patients with necrosis only (74.1% vs 100%). Overall, three patients died: one from cancer and two from teratoma with somatic-type malignancy. Of these, two patients relapsed after incomplete resection of residual teratoma. When limited to patients with completely resected teratoma, the 5-year overall survival rate was 91.7%, which did not differ from that for patients with necrosis only. Multivariate analysis showed that presence of teratoma in the primary site and decrease in retroperitoneal lymph node mass to less than 50% of the initial tumor size were independent factors for residual teratoma. However, the absence of these factors could not reliably predict necrosis only in retroperitoneal lymph node dissection specimens.

CONCLUSIONS

In our series, 98% of post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection pathology was either necrosis or teratoma, with viable germ cell tumor only found in 2% of patients. Residual teratoma was associated with poorer prognosis, especially in cases of incomplete resection.

Impact of Teratoma on the Cumulative Incidence of Disease-Related Death in Patients With Advanced Germ Cell Tumors

PURPOSE

In men with metastatic germ cell tumors (GCTs), risk-directed treatment is determined, in part, by a distinction between seminoma and nonseminomatous GCT (NSGCT). The importance of NSGCT cell type is uncertain. We evaluated the long-term impact of teratoma on survival in patients with NSGCT.

METHODS

Prechemotherapy, primary tumors from patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy were studied, and the histology was confirmed by a genitourinary pathologist. The cumulative incidence of disease-related death (CIDD) was the primary end point, and a competing-risk analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Tumors were available from 232 patients, including 193 with NSGCT. An element of teratoma was present in 82 NSGCT primary tumors (42%). With a median follow-up of 17 years (range, 0.3 to 35 years), 58 patients with NSGCT died, 47 as a result of GCT and 11 as a result of other causes. Most GCT deaths occurred within the first 5 years and were associated with pretreatment risk status (P < .001). Death as a result of other causes rose steadily after 15 years and was not associated with risk status (P = .66). A higher CIDD was observed in patients who had NSGCT with teratoma than those with NSGCT without teratoma and seminoma (5-year CIDD rate, 27.4%, 17.4%, and 10.3%, respectively; P = .03). A higher CIDD was observed in patients who had NSGCT with mature teratoma compared with those with either NSGCT with immature teratoma or NSGCT without teratoma (5-year CIDD rate, 38.1%, 19.9%, and 17.4%, respectively; P = .01).

CONCLUSION

The presence of teratoma, particularly mature teratoma, in an NSGCT primary tumor is associated with a higher CIDD, consistent with the hypothesis that differentiation is associated with adverse outcomes. Death as a result of non-GCT causes is not associated with risk status and must be separated from GCT death when evaluating long-term survival.

Serum AFP, hCG and CEA in the Management of Patients with Testicular, Ovarian and Extragonadal Germ Cell Tumors

Serum levels of AFP, hCG and CEA were initially and serially measured in 59 patients with testicular germ cell tumors, and serially in 37 with ovarian and 3 with extragonadal germ cell tumors. Patients with seminoma/dysgerminoma or mature teratoma had normal serum AFP and sporadically slightly elevated hCG. Some patients with embryonal carcinoma, pure or with admixture of seminoma, had serum AFP elevated to maximum 100 U/ml, yet its use for monitoring therapy was limited. Patients with yolk sac tumors had elevated AFP and sometimes CEA levels, those with choriocarcinoma had elevated hCG, and those with compound tumors had one or more of the markers highly elevated. High AFP and/or hCG levels indicated the presence of the relevant tumor cells both in the primary and in residual tumor and/or metastases, also those missed in histological material, and thus were useful in restaging. Unfortunately, their absence in serum did not exclude the presence of marker-negative subpopulations of tumor cells. Changes in marker values paralleled the effects of treatment: the level increasing from any nadir heralded recurrence in patients in remission; elevated or increasing levels during therapy implied resistance to the therapy; decreasing levels indicated regression even though a return to the normal range did not mean eradication of all tumor cells.

Serum miRNA Predicts Viable Disease after Chemotherapy in Patients with Testicular Nonseminoma Germ Cell Tumor

PURPOSE

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is recommended for residual masses greater than 1 cm after chemotherapy of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. Currently there is no reliable predictor of post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection histology. Up to 50% of patients harbor necrosis/fibrosis only so that a potentially morbid surgery has limited therapeutic value. In this study we evaluated the ability of defined serum miRNAs to predict residual viable nonseminomatous germ cell tumors after chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Levels of serum miRNA, including miR-371a-3p, miR-373-3p and miR-367-3p, were measured using the ampTSmiR (amplification targeted serum miRNA) test in 82 patients, including 39 in cohort 1 and 43 in cohort 2, who were treated with orchiectomy, chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. miRNA levels were compared to clinical characteristics and serum tumor markers, and correlated with the presence of viable germ cell tumor vs fibrosis/necrosis and teratoma. ROC analysis was done to determine miRNA discriminative capacity.

RESULTS

miRNA levels were significantly associated with disease extent at chemotherapy and they decreased significantly after chemotherapy. Conventional serum tumor marker levels were uninformative after chemotherapy. However, after chemotherapy miRNA levels remained elevated in patients harboring viable germ cell tumor in post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection specimens. miR-371a-3p demonstrated the highest discriminative capacity for viable germ cell tumors (AUC 0.874, 95% CI 0.774-0.974, p <0.0001). Using an adapted hypothetical cutoff of 3 cm or less for surgical intervention miR-371a-3p correctly stratified all patients with viable residual retroperitoneal germ cell tumors with 100% sensitivity (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates for the first time the potential value of miR-371a-3p to predict viable germ cell tumors in residual masses after chemotherapy. Prospective studies are required to confirm clinical usefulness.

Metastatic malignant transformation of teratoma to primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET): results with PNET-based chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Metastatic germ cell cancers are highly chemosensitive and have 80% cure rate with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Postchemotherapy teratoma can usually be surgically resected. However, teratoma, which is pluripotent tissue, can undergo malignant transformation along mesodermal elements to primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). Unlike teratoma, PNET can metastasize and render a patient unresectable and incurable. We report the results of treatment of patients with malignant transformation to PNET with cyclophosphamide+doxorubicin+vincristine (CAV) alternating with ifosfamide+etoposide (IE).

METHODS

We reviewed 86 patients with histologically confirmed PNET transformed from testicular teratoma at Indiana University from 1998 to 2012. We identified 18 patients who were treated with chemotherapy comprising cyclophosphamide (1000 to 1200 mg/m), doxorubicin (50 to 75 mg/m), and vincristine (2 mg) alternating with ifosfamide (1.8 g/m) plus etoposide (100 mg/m) for 5 consecutive days. Treatment was given every 3 weeks with a maximum of 6 cycles or until progression or undue toxicity. Hematopoietic growth factors were usually incorporated. The remaining 68 patients underwent surgical resection.

RESULTS

Twelve patients had unresectable disease and 6 were treated in an adjuvant setting. Median age was 29 years (range, 20 to 53 y). Nine of the 12 metastatic patients achieved objective response by RECIST criteria. Six of those were rendered with no evidence of disease (NED) with further surgery. Although 4 of the 6 patients subsequently relapsed, 1 patient remains alive and NED at 78 months. The 6 patients who received adjuvant treatment are alive with NED at 9 to 90 months with a median duration of 32.7 months.

CONCLUSIONS

CAV and IE alternating chemotherapy has high objective response rate for PNET transformed from teratoma and results in occasional long-term disease-free survival when combined with subsequent resection. We recommend adjuvant CAV alternating with IE chemotherapy for patients with PNET after RPLND due to the high probability of recurrent disease and their high chemosensitivity to this regimen.

Surgical outcomes in adults with benign and malignant sacrococcygeal teratoma: a single-institution experience of 26 cases

BACKGROUND

Adult sacrococcygeal teratomas are rare, and limited data exist on their management and outcomes following surgery.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to review the outcomes in adult patients undergoing surgery for sacrococcygeal teratomas.

DESIGN

A retrospective review of our prospectively maintained surgical pathology and tumor registries was conducted.

SETTING

This study was conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Information was collected on patients treated between 1980 and 2013.

PATIENTS

A total of 26 patients with sacrococcygeal teratoma were identified (19 female), with a median age of 37.5 years. Malignancy was seen in 5 patients.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Data on demographics, clinical presentation, tumor pathology, adjuvant therapy, surgical approach, surgical margins, use of preoperative biopsy, radiological investigations, morbidity, mortality, and local recurrence was collected. Complications were assessed by using the Clavien-Dindo system of classification.

RESULTS

Patients most commonly presented with pelvic pain (n = 16) and/or a palpable mass (n = 15). On radiology, 8 lesions were purely cystic, 14 were mixed, and 4 were solid; teratoma was suspected as a diagnosis in 8 patients. Preoperative biopsy (13 patients) had 100% concordance with final pathology. Median tumor size was 6 cm, and the surgical approach was posterior only (n = 15), anterior only (n = 5), and combined anterior-posterior (n = 6). Of 5 patients with malignancy, 3 died of recurrent disease.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations of this study include the small number of patients, the long study period, and the heterogeneous nature of these tumors.

CONCLUSION

Presacral teratomas require multidisciplinary management and have a risk of malignant transformation. They are more common in females, and the majority are intrapelvic in location in adults. We recommend clinical evaluation, radiological investigation, and image-guided biopsy in all suspicious presacral lesions. A treatment algorithm has been designed to improve the management of these rare tumors.

Late relapse of testis cancer

Most relapses of germ-cell tumors occur within 2 years of initial treatment. In 2 % to 4 % of patients, relapse may occur later. The retroperitoneum is the primary site of late relapses, and alpha-fetoprotein is the predominant marker. These tumors are highly resistant to chemotherapy. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment. If the recurrent disease is inoperable, salvage chemotherapy may be instituted, followed by resection of the residual disease.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in a testicular teratoma and presenting as sister Mary joseph nodule

The most common somatic type malignancy arising in patients with testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) is sarcoma. Development of carcinomas, especially squamous cell carcinoma is an extremely rare event. Most cases of metastatic umbilical nodules (Sister Mary Joseph nodule) develop from adenocarcinomas. Fifteen percent of such cases have unknown origin; but development from a testicular squamous cell carcinoma has not yet been reported in the literature. We report a rare case of somatic type squamous cell carcinoma arising in a testicular teratoma. It is also possibly the first reported case of its kind which presented with a metastatic umbilical nodule. This possibility should be kept in mind while evaluating metastatic umbilical nodules in young male patients.

[Postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for testicular cancer. Literature review by the Oncology Committee of the French Association of Urology, External Genitalia Group]

INTRODUCTION

Postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy (PC RPLDN) leads to an overall survival rate for testicular cancer exceeding 75%. Several questions still persist concerning: preoperative assessment of residual masses, reducing templates of dissection, choosing surgical approaches or including RPLND in high-risk patients' management.

METHOD

The main series in the literature of the past 20 years were analyzed and selected to address these issues and reach a consensual diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

RESULTS

Forty-eight original articles (1992 to 2011) were selected. They confirm that no preoperative tool can predict the histological nature of residual masses. The unilateral modified template is a valid option for selected patients but the full bilateral dissection remains the standard but more morbid. The laparoscopic approach is being evaluated. The LDNRP PC is indicated in "high risk" situations especially after salvage chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

The bilateral lymphadenectomy by laparotomy of any supracentimeter residual mass, 6 weeks after chemotherapy, for germ cell tumors of the testicle is a standard of care.

Surgery for retroperitoneal relapse in the setting of a prior retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for germ cell tumor

Recognition of the therapeutic role of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in the setting of testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) is of utmost importance. Although the histologic findings of RPLND provide diagnostic and prognostic information, the adequacy of initial RPLND is an independent predictor of clinical outcome. Despite the advent of effective cisplatin-based chemotherapy for testicular GCTs, patients who have undergone suboptimal surgery at the time of initial RPLND are compromised. Despite the initial enthusiasm surrounding anatomic mapping studies, the use of modified RPLND templates has the potential to leave a significant number of patients with unresected retroperitoneal disease. Teratomatous elements are particularly common. Patients with retroperitoneal relapse following initial RPLND should be treated with reoperative RPLND and chemotherapy and can expect long term survival rates nearing 70% when treated in tertiary centers by experienced surgeons.

[The surgery after. . . retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and surgery of the residual masses after chemotherapy for advanced testicular cancer]

Thirty-six cases of retroperitoneal lymph node dissections for residual mass after chemotherapy for testicular cancer are reported. In a reference center, the recruitment is modified by the severity of the situations related to very big masses, tumors of poor prognosis and resistant tumors. Lymph node dissection is often atypical and surgery of metastatic residual masses is frequent (13 operations). The 8-year global survival remains stable, over 90%. The 5-year cumulated risk of recurrence is 20%, but these situations can be overtaken.

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection after chemotherapy

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection after chemotherapy (PC-RPLND) plays a crucial role in managing patients with advanced germ cell tumours (GCTs). In the last few years improvements in radiographic staging, a better understanding of the role of serum tumour markers, and the introduction of cisplatin-based chemotherapy have all contributed to this surgical therapy. PC-RPLND is necessary when residual radiographic abnormalities are present after chemotherapy. The need for a PC-RPLND in the face of normal findings from computed tomography (CT) is controversial. CT criteria alone are not sufficiently reliable to distinguish viable tumour or teratoma from necrosis. No combination of variables can predict negative retroperitoneal pathology with sufficient accuracy after induction chemotherapy. Unresected teratoma or viable GCT are at least partly chemorefractory and, if untreated, will progress. So completeness of resection is an independent and consistent predictive variable of clinical outcome. In PC-RPLND surgical margins should not be compromised in an attempt to preserve ejaculation, although nerve-sparing dissections are possible in patients with marker normalization after chemotherapy and necrotic tissue in frozen-section histology. In these patients nerve-sparing techniques and the reduction of surgical field to the left- or right-sided template are applicable to preserve antegrade ejaculation and consecutive fertility. The size and location of residual masses coupled with the retroperitoneal desmoplastic reaction make PC-RPLND a technically demanding procedure that should be performed by experienced surgeons in dedicated referral centres.

Reoperative Retroperitoneal Surgery

Although RPLND is both a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure, it must be performed with therapeutic intent. Adequacy of initial RPLND is a prognostic variable for clinical outcome. Effective cisplatin-based chemotherapy will not reliably compensate for suboptimal initial surgery. Many patients undergoing either primary RPLND or PC-RPLND will have unresected extratemplate disease if modified templates are used. Anatomic mapping studies, which provided the basis for modified templates, have significant limitations. Teratomatous elements are often found in the retroperitoneum of patients requiring reoperative surgery, which can be performed with acceptable morbidity in tertiary centers with experienced surgeons. The integration of chemotherapy and reoperative surgery can result in survival rates of almost 70% in patients with retroperitoneal relapse after initial suboptimal RPLND.

Adult and Pediatric Testicular Teratoma

Although pure testicular teratomas in prepubertal boys have not been reported to metastasize, testicular teratomas in adults are associated with clinical metastases in 60% of cases. Teratoma has a diverse biological potential, with propensity for local growth, distant metastases, and transformation to somatic malignant cell types. Teratoma is frequently found associated with other nonseminomatous histologies and is present in the retroperitoneum in 40% of postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissections. Because of the chemoresitant nature of teratomas, complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Since the biology of teratoma is unpredictable and it is frequently found in the retroperitoneum following chemotherapy for nonseminomatous germ-cell tumors, complete control of the retroperitoneum is advocated for all patients regardless of residual mass size.

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in testicular cancer

With long-term survival in excess of 90% across all stages, testicular cancer has come to represent the model for successful multidisciplinary cancer care. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) remains an integral component of testis cancer management strategies for both early- and advanced-stage disease. Commensurate with improvements made in clinical staging and in our understanding of the natural history of testis cancer, lymphatic spread, and neuroanatomy, considerable modifications in the technique and template of RPLND have taken place. The morbidity of primary RPLND and postchemotherapy RPLND is low when performed by experienced surgeons. This article reviews the evolution, role, and technique of RPLND in contemporary practice.

Late Relapse of Testis Cancer

Most relapses of germ-cell tumors occur within 2 years of initial treatment. In 2% to 4% of patients, relapse may occur later. The retroperitoneum is the primary site of late relapse, and alpha-fetoprotein is the predominant marker. These tumors are highly resistant to chemotherapy. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment. If the recurrent disease is inoperable, chemotherapy may be instituted, followed by resection of residual masses. Patients successfully managed for testis cancer need lifelong surveillance.

Long-Term Clinical Outcome After Postchemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Men With Residual Teratoma

Purpose

The histologic finding of teratoma occurs in approximately 40% of all postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissections (PC-RPLND). We evaluated patients at our institution undergoing initial PC-RPLND for teratoma to determine their clinical outcome.

Patients and Methods

We identified 210 patients from 1989 to 2003 with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) who underwent initial PC-RPLND and were found to have only teratoma in the retroperitoneum. Clinical and pathologic information was obtained from our prospective surgical database, and clinical outcome was reported.

Results

Of the 210 patients in our series, 192 (92%) received only induction chemotherapy, and 18 (9%) required additional chemotherapy regimens. PC-RPLND pathology revealed mature teratoma in 178 patients (85%), immature teratoma in 15 patients (7%), and teratoma with malignant transformation in 17 patients (8%). With a median follow-up time for survivors of 37 months, disease recurred in 30 patients. The probability of remaining free of disease recurrence at 5 and 10 years was 83% and 80%, respectively. Of the 30 patients with disease recurrence, 10 (33%) had recurrence with teratoma, five (17%) had recurrence with teratoma with malignant transformation, and 15 (50%) had recurrence with viable germ cell tumor. On multivariable analysis, residual mass size and International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) risk classification were predictors of disease recurrence (P < .0005 and = .001, respectively).

Conclusion

PC-RPLND remains critical in the management of patients with NSGCT. Patients found to have teratoma at PC-RPLND have a 10-year probability of freedom from recurrence of 80%. The size of the residual mass and IGCCCG risk classification were significant predictors of disease recurrence.

Late Relapses of Germ Cell Malignancies: Incidence, Management, and Prognosis

Late relapses of malignant germ cell tumors (MGCTs) are rare and occur, by definition, 2 years or later after successful treatment. They represent a major challenge of today's treatment of MGCTs. Because of the rarity and heterogeneity of late relapses, many aspects of their main characteristics remain obscure. We present relevant literature on relapsing MGCTs to highlight the following issues: incidence, impact of initial treatment on the subsequent risk of late relapse, treatment, and survival. In a pooled analysis, the incidence is 1.4% and 3.2% in seminoma and nonseminoma patients, respectively. The predominant site of relapse is the retroperitoneal space in both histologic types. The initial treatment appears to be important for the risk and localization of late relapses. The treatment of late relapses should be based on a representative presalvage biopsy and includes radical surgery and salvage chemotherapy in most cases. Five-year cancer-specific survival is above 50% in the recent large series and reaches 100% in case of single-site teratoma. Diagnosis and treatment of late-relapsing MGCT patients is challenging and should be performed in experienced centers only. Referral of late-relapsing patients to high-volume institutions ensures the best chances of cure and enables increasing understanding of tumor biology and the clinical course of these patients.

Controversies in the Management of Clinical Stage I Testis Cancer

During the last two decades, definitive primary treatments and surveillance with definitive treatment deferred until relapse have demonstrated 98% to 99% cure rates in patients with stage I testis cancer, and these options have obtained firm positions in standard management. The development of optimal management strategies in various countries were at least partly guided by available surgical expertise in retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in the United States, and easy access to reference hospitals in densely populated countries in Western Europe that facilitated close surveillance programs; hence, treatment preferences differ on the two sides of the Atlantic. The success of both approaches is highly dependent on the skills of the practitioner, particularly of surgery and of scrutinized surveillance. As a result, local expertise and familiarity with a chosen modality has strengthened over the years, and investigators have been reluctant to embark on randomized trials designed to compare one modality with another. Such expertise with one particular technique, with the other approach being less familiar territory, has created controversy, because both physicians and patients seek evidence-based data coming from randomized clinical trials on which to make management decisions. Moreover, the reduced risk of relapse resulting from the use of radiotherapy or carboplatin in stage I seminoma and of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in stage I nonseminoma must be balanced against the potential long-term adverse effects in this population of patients with a normal life expectancy. The purpose of this review is to present the currently available data and discuss the merits and the disadvantages of the various approaches, yielding to the possible conclusion that all options appear to be equal in terms of efficacy, but that modality-associated adverse effects differ.

Chemotherapy in patients with teratoma with malignant transformation

OBJECTIVE

Germ-cell tumours (GCTs) with a non-GCT malignant component are a unique and rare phenomenon called teratoma with malignant transformation (TMT). The only published series of patients with TMT treated with chemotherapy comprised 10 patients. We report here our experience in treating 14 patients with TMT.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sarcoma was identified in 10 of 14 patients, with rhabdomyosarcoma ranking first (n=4). Other histological types included adenocarcinoma (n=3) and bronchoalveolar carcinoma (n=1). Immunohistochemistry was performed to help in identifying the malignant non-GCT component.

RESULTS

Primary treatment consisted of surgery alone in 4 patients. The remaining 10 patients received first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy with resection of residual masses (n=5): 4 patients had a complete response and 5 had a partial response. Overall, 9 patients developed a relapse with a median time of 84 mo (range: 6-168). At relapse, 8 patients received a chemotherapy regimen directed to the non-GCT component. Four of these patients achieved a partial response. With a median follow-up of 59 mo (range: 3-180), 4 of 14 patients are alive, including 3 who are disease-free.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is by far the largest reported European series of chemotherapy in TMT. Although TMT has a poor prognosis compared to GCT, its management may be improved by adapted chemotherapy associated with surgical resection of residual masses.

Long-term outcome of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in the management of testis cancer

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 approximately 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.

Prolonged survival following salvage surgery for chemorefractory ovarian immature teratoma: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Data regarding salvage surgery for ovarian immature teratoma (IT) are lacking despite its established role in the management of chemorefractory testicular germ cell tumors. In this report, a case of advanced IT that was salvaged by secondary cytoreduction following failure of both primary therapy and salvage chemotherapy is described, and the available literature is reviewed.

CASE

A 28-year-old patient underwent primary cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy for stage IIIC, grade 3, ovarian IT. Second-line chemotherapy was administered after residual disease was identified at second-look surgery. Following failure of salvage chemotherapy, aggressive secondary debulking resulted in long-term disease-free survival of over 48 months.

CONCLUSION

There appears to be a distinct role for salvage surgery in selected cases of chemorefractory IT. More studies are needed to further define the subset of patients who benefit most from this management approach.

Germ cell tumours of the testis

Cancer of the testis is a relatively rare disease, accounting for about 1% of all cancers in men. Cryptorchidism is the only confirmed risk factor for testicular germ cell tumour. The majority of GCT are clinically detectable at initial presentation. Any nodular, hard, or fixed area discovered in the testis, must be considered neoplastic until proved otherwise. The appropriate surgical procedure to make the diagnosis is a radical orchidectomy through an inguinal incision. Many GCT produce tumoural markers (AFP, HCG, LDH), who are useful in the diagnosis and staging of disease; to monitor the therapeutic response and to detect tumour recurrence. In 1997 a prognostic factor-based classification for the metastatic germ cell tumours was developed by the IGCCCG: good, intermediate and poor prognosis, with 5-year survival of 91, 79 and 48%, respectively. GCT of the testis is a highly table, often curable, cancer. Germ cell testicular cancers are divided into seminoma and non-seminoma types for treatment planning because seminomatous testicular cancers are more sensitive to radiotherapy. Seminoma (all stages combined) has a cure rate of greater than 90%. For patients with low-stage disease, the cure approaches 100%. For patients with non-seminoma tumours, the cure rate is >95% in stages I and II; it is approximately 70% with standard chemotherapy and resection of residual disease, if necessary, in stages III and IV. Minimum guidelines for clinical, biochemical, and radiological follow-up have been reported by ESMO in 2001.

The role of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in the management of testicular cancer

Despite continued refinement in terms of technique and the integration of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in the management of patients with testicular cancer, RPLND remains an essential component in the ultimate cure of these patients. The failure to eradicate all disease in the retroperitoneum exposes patients to the risk of late relapse events with potentially lethal consequences. For patients with low-stage nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT), primary RPLND is an important staging tool to define subsequent treatment requirements, simplify the follow-up of patients by obviating the need for routine abdominal imaging, and limit the exposure of patients to the long-term toxicity of chemotherapy. RPLND alone is curative in up to 90% of patients with low-volume retroperitoneal disease. In the post-chemotherapy setting, the inability to reliably exclude the presence of teratoma or viable germ cell cancer in the retroperitoneum mandates that post-chemotherapy RPLND be performed for all NSGCT patients with residual masses. With improvements in surgical technique and perioperative care, RPLND is associated with minimal short- and long-term morbidity in the hands of experienced surgeons at dedicated centers. This article reviews the role of RPLND in the management of patients with NSGCT at all stages and its role in advanced seminoma.

The role of positron emission tomography in germ cell cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive tool for imaging regional metabolic processes, which adds another dimension to current anatomy-derived imaging techniques, i.e. metabolic imaging. To date, 2-(18)fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) has been the only tracer used for imaging germ cell tumors (GCT), which can be distinguished from normal tissue by their different glucose utilization. However, FDG PET has several limitations: (1) inflammatory and granulomatous tissues also show extensive FDG uptake, (2) lesions <1 cm in size can often not be detected, and (3) mature teratoma is indistinguishable from normal and necrotic tissue. Studies assessing the clinical role of FDG PET in GCT suggest that the technique has a place as a standard tool in evaluating post chemotherapy seminoma residuals. Whether it also improves the assessment of the risks carried by clinical stage I non-seminoma patients and the early prediction of response to salvage chemotherapy is still under investigation, or at least needs to be confirmed by further trials. In relapsing patients with a mismatch between tumor markers and imaging data, FDG PET appears to be useful whenever salvage surgery is considered, although systematic trials are not yet available.

Reoperative retroperitoneal surgery for nonseminomatous germ cell tumor: clinical presentation, patterns of recurrence, and outcome

OBJECTIVES

To describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumor requiring reoperative retroperitoneal surgery at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, because such patients are poorly characterized.

METHODS

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center germ cell tumor surgical database was reviewed from January 1989 through April 2001, and the clinical characteristics of patients undergoing reoperative retroperitoneal surgery for nonseminomatous germ cell tumor were identified. The initial presentation, histologic findings, morbidity, and survival were analyzed. Disease-specific survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

A total of 56 patients underwent 61 repeat operations: 22 after primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) and 34 after postchemotherapy RPLND. Left testicular primary tumors were more common than right (33 versus 23), and the most common sites of disease prompting reoperation were the para-aortic and left hilar regions. Teratoma was the most common histologic finding at the time of reoperation. Of 56 patients, 37 (66%) required chemotherapy between the initial operation and reoperation. The overall perioperative complication rate was 27%, and median length of hospital stay was 8 days. Sixty-nine percent of patients required adjunctive procedures at the time of reoperation, the most common of which was thoracotomy. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 67% for the entire group (86% following reoperation after primary RPLND and 56% following reoperation after postchemotherapy RPLND).

CONCLUSIONS

Reoperative retroperitoneal surgery for nonseminomatous germ cell tumor can be performed with acceptable morbidity in select referral centers. Teratoma is highly prevalent in the retroperitoneum at the time of reoperation. A significant subset of these high-risk patients can be salvaged with complete resection.

Incidence and clinical outcome of patients with teratoma in the retroperitoneum following primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for clinical stages I and IIA nonseminomatous germ cell tumors

PURPOSE

We determined the incidence and clinical outcome of patients with clinical stages I and IIA nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT), and teratoma in the retroperitoneum following primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 1989 and February 1998, 294 patients with clinical stages I (209) and IIA (85) underwent primary RPLND at our institution. The primary tumor had teratomatous elements in 179 (61%) cases. Median followup was 27.8 months.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of teratoma in the retroperitoneum was 9% (25 of 294), and 21% (25 of 118) in patients with pathological stage II disease. The incidence of teratoma in the retroperitoneum increased from 3% (6 of 209) in clinical stage I to 22% (19 of 85, chi-square test p <0.0001) in clinical stage IIA. The incidence of teratoma in patients with pN1/N2/N3 disease increased from 9% (6 of 64) in clinical stage I to 35% (19 of 54) in clinical stage IIA (chi-square test p = 0.0006). All 25 patients with pathological stage II and teratoma in the retroperitoneum have no evidence of disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of teratoma in the retroperitoneum increases with clinical and pathological stage. Teratomatous elements in the orchiectomy specimen predict teratoma in clinical and pathological stage II NSGCT. The absence of teratoma in the primary tumor does not preclude its presence in the retroperitoneum. Primary RPLND avoids the persistence of chemoresistant teratoma in the retroperitoneum, contributes to the high cure rate of patients with low stage NSGCT and decreases the potential for late relapse.

Current aspects of high-dose chemotherapy in germ-cell tumors

The optimal treatment in patients with 'poor prognosis' germ-cell tumors (GCT) according to the 'International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group' (IGCCCG)--classification and in patients with refractory or relapsed disease after cisplatin-based chemotherapy remains controversial. It is well known that the majority of these patients will suffer systemic relapses after primary or salvage treatment and most of them will ultimately die of their disease. Therefore, the optimizing of the standard treatment is clearly desirable. The question of using conventional-dose or high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) in this high-risk patients is under discussion. However, HDCT as primary treatment in 'poor prognosis' patients and as first- or subsequent salvage therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory GCT remains to be a relevant curative option. Prognostic factors have recently been recognized to aid in this decision.

Multimodality treatment of patients with liver metastases from germ cell tumors: the role of surgery

BACKGROUND

The presence of liver metastases represents an independent poor risk prognostic factor for survival in patients with germ cell tumors.

METHODS

The clinical files of 37 patients who had undergone liver resection for the treatment of disseminated germ cell tumors were reviewed to define the indications for resection of residual liver metastases after chemotherapy in patients with germ cell tumors. The histologic patterns of primary tumor and residual disease were compared. The prognostic factors for survival were studied by univariate analysis.

RESULTS

All but 2 of 37 patients underwent complete resection. One patient died of postoperative complications. Thirteen complications occurred in 10 patients. Twelve patients had active residual tumor, 7 patients had mature teratoma, and 18 patients had only necrosis on histologic examination. Twenty-three of 37 patients (62%) were alive with no evidence of disease after a median follow-up of 66 months (range, 31-134 months). Three prognostic factors were found to be significant in the univariate analysis for unfavorable outcome: the presence of pure embryonal carcinoma in the primary tumor, liver metastases measuring > 30 mm in greatest dimension at the time of surgery, and the presence of viable, active residual disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Because it is impossible to determine the histologic pattern of residual liver masses after chemotherapy with current imaging tools and percutaneous biopsy, patient selection for liver surgery may be undertaken according to the size of residual liver masses. Patients with masses that measure < or = 10 mm in greatest dimension should be considered for close follow-up, because they have a high probability of necrosis and are at low risk for malignant disease. Male patients with masses that measure > or = 30 mm in greatest dimension represent a high-risk group of patients who are not likely to benefit from liver surgery. Only male patients with masses that measure 10-29 mm in greatest dimension and all female patients with masses that measure > 10 mm in greatest dimension should be considered for liver resection.

The pathology of late recurrence of testicular germ cell tumors

A total of 91 men had histologically documented late recurrences of testicular germ cell tumors characterized by a complete response to treatment with a subsequent disease-free interval of at least 2 years and no evidence of a second primary lesion. Ninety percent of the patients for whom information was available received chemotherapy shortly after their initial diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors; most of the other patients were known to have stage I disease initially. Overall, 60% of patients had teratoma in their late recurrences, including 20 patients (22%) in whom teratoma was the only element. Thus, teratoma was the most common type of neoplasm in late recurrences. Excluding teratoma coexisting with other types of neoplasms, yolk sac tumor was the most frequent type of tumor in patients with late recurrence. It occurred in 47% of patients, either alone or with teratoma, another nonteratomatous germ cell tumor type, or a "nongerm cell malignant tumor." Unusual types of yolk sac tumor, including glandular, parietal, clear cell, and pleomorphic patterns, were seen frequently in late recurrences and often raised differential diagnostic problems with "nongerm cell" carcinomas. A smaller number of late recurrences consisted of other types of neoplasms. Twenty percent of patients with late recurrence had a nonteratomatous germ cell tumor other than yolk sac tumor, either alone, with yolk sac tumor, or with a "nongerm cell malignant tumor." Most of these nonteratomatous germ cell tumors other than yolk sac tumor were embryonal carcinoma, although rarely seminoma and choriocarcinoma were encountered. "Nongerm cell malignant tumors," including both sarcomas and carcinomas of various types, occurred in 23% of late-recurrence patients, either alone or with a nonteratomatous germ cell tumor. Late recurrences were seen in many different sites in these patients, including the retroperitoneum, abdomen, pelvis, liver, mediastinum, lung, bone (femur, vertebra, and rib), lymph nodes outside the retroperitoneum and mediastinum (supraclavicular, neck, and axillary regions), scrotum and inguinal regions, adrenal gland, chest wall, and buttocks. Follow-up data were available for 79 of the 91 patients studied. Duration of follow-up ranged from 2 months to 13 years after the patient's first late recurrences; the mean length of follow-up was 4.8 years. Patients whose late recurrences consisted of teratoma only had the most favorable outcomes, with 79% having no evidence of disease at last follow-up. Patients whose late recurrences consisted of pure "nongerm cell malignant tumor" or pure germ cell tumor (yolk sac tumor or other types) had a much worse prognosis: Only 36% to 37% were alive with no evidence of disease. Patients with two different types of nonteratomatous malignancies in their late recurrences had a dismal clinical course: Only 17% with both yolk sac tumor and other nonteratomatous germ cell tumor had no evidence of disease, whereas no patient with both nonteratomatous germ cell tumor and "nongerm cell malignant tumor" was disease free. Late recurrences consisting of teratoma alone often have a favorable outcome, but the prognosis in all other patients is poor. Furthermore, late recurrence is not likely to respond to chemotherapy and is best treated by surgical excision when possible.

Conversion of multiple solid testicular teratoma metastases to fatty and cystic liver masses following chemotherapy: CT evidence of "maturation"

Testicular germ cell tumour metastases may undergo "retroconversion" to mature differentiated teratoma following chemotherapy or irradiation. We report a patient with testicular germ cell liver metastases in whom computed tomography (CT) scans following chemotherapy demonstrated a reduction in CT attenuation of the liver lesions to that of cystic and fatty density. This is believed to represent CT evidence of liver metastasis "retroconversion", which offers the potential for non-invasive monitoring of histological progression.

A 7-year audit in a single centre of the results of the modified template retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular teratoma

OBJECTIVE

To audit the results of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) after chemotherapy for testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumour (NSGCT) in a single centre over a 7-year period, using a modified template technique via a midline transabdominal approach.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Outcome data were collected prospectively on all patients undergoing RPLND for a residual retroperitoneal mass after chemotherapy for NSGCT between October 1990 and March 1998; 28 patients underwent 32 RPLNDs over this period.

RESULTS

The clinical stage at presentation was stage I in three patients (12%), stage II in 15 (54%), stage III in one (4%) and stage IV in nine (32%). The histological classification included malignant teratoma differentiated in one patient, malignant teratoma intermediate in 12 (43%) and malignant teratoma undifferentiated in 12. Tumour markers were positive immediately before surgery in four patients. A midline transabdominal approach was used in 31 of the procedures. The size of the retroperitoneal tumour mass was <3 cm in four patients (13%), 4-8 cm in 16 (50%) and >9 cm in 12 (38%). Histology of the mass showed residual differentiated teratoma in 17 (53%), undifferentiated teratoma in six (19%), necrosis only in six (19%), adenocarcinoma in one and angiosarcomatous differentiation in two. There was no perioperative mortality. Eight patients had permanent loss of ejaculation (29%) and two had erectile dysfunction (7%). Five patients (20%) subsequently developed recurrent disease; three (12%) underwent reoperation for disease relapse (one requiring two further procedures), whilst two (8%) died from recurrent disease.

CONCLUSION

An abdominal approach via a midline incision provides satisfactory access with minimal morbidity in most patients. Results comparable with larger series can be achieved in regional centres.

Sacrococcygeal teratoma in adults: case reports and a review of the literature

BACKGROUND

The sacrococcygeal area is the most frequent site of teratoma in infants, but it is a rare location for teratoma in adults.

METHODS

The authors report two patients in their sixth decade of life with the pathologic diagnosis of sacrococcygeal teratoma. The clinical presentations, the histologic findings, and the patients' clinical outcomes are described. A review of the literature on sacrococcygeal teratoma in adults is also presented.

RESULTS

In the first patient, who had no evidence of recurrence after adequate resection, examination of the specimens showed mature teratoma. The second patient had mature teratoma with adenocarcinomatous component and possible leptomeningeal involvement. She died 2 months after the operation.

CONCLUSIONS

Although rare in adults, sacrococcygeal teratoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with a pelvic mass presenting with obstructive symptoms. These two cases suggest that sacrococcygeal mature teratoma is surgically curable if teratoma is completely resected. The presence of leptomeningeal involvement and malignant transformation are associated with a less favorable outcome.

Hepatic resection of metastatic testicular carcinoma: a further update

BACKGROUND

The goal of this study was to update the multidisciplinary review of patients who underwent resection of hepatic metastases of nonseminomatous germ cell testicular carcinoma at the Indiana University Medical Center.

METHODS

The study involved retrospective chart review for 57 patients who underwent hepatic resection for treatment of metastatic nonseminomatous testicular carcinoma between June 1974 and May 1996. Patients were categorized according to the worst postchemotherapy pathologic diagnosis.

RESULTS

Chemotherapy has been highly effective in curing testicular carcinoma. However, even with platinum-based chemotherapy, one-third of patients either do not achieve complete cures or experience relapses. Since 1965, only 57 of the 2219 patients who underwent postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissections for treatment of testicular carcinoma at our center underwent hepatic resection for treatment of metastatic disease. Because teratomas have the propensity to degenerate into sarcomas and can cause symptoms resulting from compression, these lesions must be resected to achieve cures. In addition, the only chance for survival for patients with active disease but normal serum marker levels is with complete resection of the tumor burden.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that hepatic resection for treatment of metastatic testicular carcinoma is safe and efficacious for all patients except those with elevated marker levels after preoperative chemotherapy.

Testis risk and prognostic factors. The pathologist's perspective

Pathologic analysis is invaluable in defining the levels of risk for the development of a testicular tumor or for metastasis in a patient with an established testicular cancer. The identification of IGCNU in testicular biopsies defines a group of patients at high risk for subsequent invasive germ cell tumor unless they are treated by orchiectomy or radiotherapy. This method for defining the risk for the development of a testicular tumor is not effective in prepubertal patients, except for those with intersex syndromes. Pathologic analysis of testicular germ cell tumors in patients with clinical stage I disease may allow their stratification into high- and low-risk groups for occult metastases. This would provide a rational basis for recommending intervention or surveillance, respectively. The precise classification of postchemotherapy lesions permits an assessment of the patient's risk for subsequent recurrence and progressive tumor.