Abstract
Several risk factors have been identified for the development of testicular germ cell tumors with history of a testicular tumor in the contralateral testis being one of the most important factors; the incidence of bilateral tumors in large series ranges from 2% to 5%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of long-term follow-up in patients with bilateral testicular germ cell tumors. In a series of 247 patients with testicular germ cell tumors treated at Kobe University Hospital between 1966 and 1995, 10 patients (4.0%) had bilateral testicular tumors. Clinicopathological data are presented for these 10 patients and the literature is reviewed. Of the 10 patients with bilateral tumors, 2 had a simultaneous bilateral tumor, and in the remaining 8 patients, the second tumor was diagnosed after an interval of 2 months to 16 years. All 10 patients were diagnosed as stage I or II in both the initial and secondary tumors. Five patients had identical histological findings in both tumors. Eight patients were free of disease after a median observation period of 13.5 years, and the remaining 2 patients died of metastatic disease. The present results are essentially consistent with previous studies analyzing the features of bilateral testicular germ cell tumors. Considering these findings, close clinical follow-up and patient education appeared to be an appropriate follow-up strategy in patients with testicular tumors, as the secondary tumors can generally be cured with current treatment regimens.
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