The current role of surgery in the management of residual disease.

Abstract

The increasing interest in surveillance rather than primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for clinical stage I testis cancer has led to retroperitoneal lymph node dissection being performed mostly after chemotherapy for stage II-IV disease. In most centres residual masses of 2-3 cm or more are removed; those smaller than this are most likely to be necrotic. The aim is to remove all residual disease even if this necessitates nephrectomy or excision of adjacent vascular structures. Laparoscopic approaches are hazardous in these circumstances. Thoraco-abdominal surgical approaches enable excellent access to retroperitoneal masses and synchronous excision of ipsilateral pulmonary metastases and thoracic lymph nodes. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection also appears to be worthwhile in chemotherapy-resistant disease ('desperation retroperitoneal lymph node dissection'), although the relapse rate is higher in this group.