Laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (L-RPLND) as therapeutic in stage I nonseminomatous germ cell testicular tumors: Findings from a referral center.

Abstract

411 Background: Active surveillance or one course of BEP are the usual policies in stage I NSGTT. RPLND has been progressively abandoned due to morbidity and, mostly, to its low reproducibility. L-RPLND was introduced aiming at reducing morbidity, but few systematic data are available concerning its therapeutic efficacy. A long-term accrual in a referral center is presented. Methods: Analysis includes patients undergoing primary L-RPLND between 2000 and 2014, performed by 4 different surgeons. Patients underwent unilateral dissection according to a template in use since 1980. Adjuvant chemotherapy was provided in cases with a positive nodal ratio ≥ 25%. Regular follow-up was provided. Performance, safety and effectiveness measures have been analyzed. Results: Out of 225 patients, full data including clinico-pathologic variables and follow-up are available in 188 cases. Mean age is 31 yrs, vascular invasion is present in 37.2%. Left dissections are 52%. Fifteen (8%) cases have been converted to open RPLND. Median duration of RPLND is 200 min. Median number of removed nodes is 15 (IQR: 11-20). Complications of Clavien Dindo grade ≥ 3 are 9. Twenty-six patients have metastatic nodes (pN+) and 6 received adjuvant chemotherapy. After a median follow-up of 40 months (range: 24, 71), 11 relapses occurred: 6 (3.7%) of 162 pN0 and 5 of 20 pN+ not undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. Infield recurrences are not reported. All relapsed patients have been rescued by first line chemotherapy. Presence of vascular invasion (p .073) and node ratio as continuous variable (p .097) are not associated with recurrence considering all cases, while conversion to open RPLND is significant (p .019), considering patients operated by the two surgeons with homogeneous variables. Conclusions: L-RPLND in a referral centre is a safe procedure and is apparently effective as open surgery, as there is no an excess of relapses in pN0 cases (3.6%), and the proportion of relapses in pN1 (25%) compares with the traditional figures of open surgery. Conversion to open surgery may be a marker predicting recurrence in a mature phase of experience.