Non-seminomatous retroperitoneal histology in patients with a pure testicular seminoma and an elevated serum alpha feto-protein

Abstract

14561 Background: There is controversy regarding the management of patients with pure testicular seminoma (PTS) and elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level (Nazeer, Oncol Rep 1998;5:1425). Our objective was to determine the retroperitoneal histology and clinical outcome of patients with pure testicular seminoma and elevated serum AFP level. Methods: Between 1989 and 2004, 15 patients with PTS and elevated AFP level underwent post chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) at MSKCC. All diagnoses of PTS were confirmed by a MSKCC uropathologist. Clinical and pathologic data were obtained from our prospective surgical database and subsequently analyzed. Results: The median pretreatment AFP level was 339 ng/ml (interquartile range [IQR]: 42, 1,006). Clinical stage at initial presentation was IIa in 1, IIb in 1, IIc in 9, and III in 4. According to the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) risk classification, 6 patients had good, 6 had intermediate, and 3 had poor risk for disease. The histology at PC-RPLND demonstrated teratoma in 6 patients (40%), fibrosis/necrosis in 6 patients (40%), and viable germ cell tumor in 3 patients (20%; 1 embryonal, 1 yolk sac, and 1 seminoma). Overall, 8 of 15 (53%) had persistent nonseminomatous retroperitoneal histology after chemotherapy. At a median follow-up of 4.2 years (IQR: 2.3, 7.1), 10 patients were alive without disease, 2 were alive with disease, and 3 died of disease. Cancer-specific survival rate was 83% at 5 years (95% confidence interval: 47, 96). Conclusion: Contrary to prior reports (Nazeer, Oncol Rep 1998;5:1425), patients with pure seminoma and an elevated AFP level should be managed as having nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (GCT), including post chemotherapy RPLND because more than half will harbor either teratoma or viable GCT. No significant financial relationships to disclose.