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World Journal of Urology Dec 2022Testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs) represent the most common malignancy in young adult males with two thirds of all cases presenting with clinical stage I (CSI). Active...
Testicular germ cell tumours' clinical stage I: comparison of surveillance with adjuvant treatment strategies regarding recurrence rates and overall survival-a systematic review.
PURPOSE
Testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs) represent the most common malignancy in young adult males with two thirds of all cases presenting with clinical stage I (CSI). Active surveillance is the management modality mostly favoured by current guidelines. This systematic review assesses the treatment results in CSI patients concerning recurrence rate and overall survival in non-seminoma (NS) and pure seminoma (SE) resulting from surveillance in comparison to adjuvant strategies.
METHODS/SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
We performed a systematic literature review confining the search to most recent studies published 2010-2021 that reported direct comparisons of surveillance to adjuvant management. We searched Medline and the Cochrane Library with additional hand-searching of reference lists to identify relevant studies. Data extraction and quality assessment of included studies were performed with stratification for histology (NS vs. SE) and treatment modalities. The results were tabulated and evaluated with descriptive statistical methods.
RESULTS
Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. In NS patients relapse rates were 12 to 37%, 0 to 10%, and 0 to 11.8% for surveillance, chemotherapy and for retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) while overall survival rates were 90.7-100%, 91.7-100%, and 97-99.1%, respectively. In SE CSI, relapse rates were 0-22.3%, 0-5%, and 0-12.5% for surveillance, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, while overall survival rates were 84.1-98.7%, 83.5-100%, and 92.3-100%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
In both histologic subgroups, active surveillance offers almost identical overall survival as adjuvant management strategies, however, at the expense of higher relapse rates. Each of the management strategies in CSI GCT patients have specific merits and shared-decision-making is advised to tailor treatment.
Topics: Male; Young Adult; Humans; Orchiectomy; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Testicular Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Seminoma; Lymph Node Excision; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
PubMed: 36107211
DOI: 10.1007/s00345-022-04145-6 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) May 2023Standard care for stage I testicular germ cell cancers (seminomatous-STC or non-seminomatous-NSTC) is orchiectomy followed by active surveillance, 1 or 2 cycles of... (Review)
Review
Standard care for stage I testicular germ cell cancers (seminomatous-STC or non-seminomatous-NSTC) is orchiectomy followed by active surveillance, 1 or 2 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy. The decision on the adjuvant therapeutic approach is guided by the associated risk factors of the patient and the potential related toxicity of the treatment. Currently, there is no consensus regarding the optimal number of adjuvant chemotherapy cycles. Although in terms of overall survival, there is no proven inconsistency regarding the number of cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, and the rate of relapse may vary.
Topics: Male; Humans; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Testicular Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Neoplasm Staging; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
PubMed: 37241148
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59050916 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2021Testicular cancer (TC) is the most frequent tumor in young males. In the vast majority of cases, it is a curable disease; therefore, very often patients experience a...
Testicular cancer (TC) is the most frequent tumor in young males. In the vast majority of cases, it is a curable disease; therefore, very often patients experience a long survival, also due to their young age at diagnosis. In the last decades, the role of the vitamin D deficiency related to orchiectomy has become an increasingly debated topic. Indeed, vitamin D is essential in bone metabolism and many other metabolic pathways, so its deficiency could lead to various metabolic disorders especially in long-term TC survivors. In our article, we report data from studies that evaluated the incidence of hypovitaminosis D in TC survivors compared with cohorts of healthy peers and we discuss molecular mechanisms and clinical implications.
Topics: Cancer Survivors; Humans; Male; Testicular Neoplasms; Vitamin D Deficiency
PubMed: 34067977
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105145 -
World Journal of Urology Sep 2022In several urogenital cancers, organ-preserving surgery represents the preferred treatment approach, but in patients with testicular germ cell tumors (tGCTs), radical... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
In several urogenital cancers, organ-preserving surgery represents the preferred treatment approach, but in patients with testicular germ cell tumors (tGCTs), radical orchiectomy represents the standard of care. This study aimed to summarize published case series assessing oncological and functional outcomes after testis-sparing surgery (TSS) in patients with tGCTs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic literature review and individual patient data meta-analysis were conducted of published cases with tGCT treated with TSS.
RESULTS
Of 2,333 reports, we included 32 reports providing data on 285 patients, including 306 testicles treated with TSS. Adjacent germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) was described in 43%. Hypogonadism and infertility after TSS were diagnosed in 27% and 18%. In patients undergoing adjuvant testicular radiotherapy, hypogonadism was diagnosed in 40%. Patients treated with adjuvant testicular radiotherapy after TSS exhibited a significantly lower incidence of local recurrence (2% vs. 50%, p < 0.001). Distant metastases after TSS were observed in 2%.
CONCLUSION
The current data questions the benefits of TSS in tGCT patients. If at all, TSS should only be offered to well-informed patients with a singular testicle, excellent compliance, a singular tumor less than 2 cm located at the lower pole of the testicle, and normal preoperative endocrine function. Unless patients plan to father a child within a short time frame, adjuvant testicular radiotherapy should be recommended after TSS. Radical orchiectomy remains the standard of care, but future studies may support the use of TSS in selected men.
Topics: Humans; Hypogonadism; Male; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Orchiectomy; Organ Sparing Treatments; Testicular Neoplasms; Testis
PubMed: 35821265
DOI: 10.1007/s00345-022-04048-6 -
Asian Journal of Andrology 2022Advances in the oncology field have led to improved survival rates. Consequently, quality of life after remission is anticipated, which includes the possibility to...
Advances in the oncology field have led to improved survival rates. Consequently, quality of life after remission is anticipated, which includes the possibility to conceive children. Since cancer treatments are potentially gonadotoxic, fertility preservation must be proposed. Male fertility preservation is mainly based on ejaculated sperm cryopreservation. When this is not possible, testicular sperm extraction (TESE) may be planned. To identify situations in which TESE has been beneficial, a systematic review was conducted. The search was carried out on the PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and CISMeF databases from 1 January 2000 to 19 March 2020. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations were followed in selecting items of interest. Thirty-four articles were included in the systematic review, including 15 articles on oncological testicular sperm extraction (oncoTESE), 18 articles on postgonadotoxic treatment TESE and 1 article on both oncoTESE and postgonadotoxic treatment TESE. Testicular sperm freezing was possible for 42.9% to 57.7% of patients before gonadotoxic treatment and for 32.4% to 75.5% of patients after gonadotoxic treatment, depending on the type of malignant disease. Although no formal conclusion could be drawn about the chances to obtain sperm in specific situations, our results suggest that TESE can be proposed before and after gonadotoxic treatment. Before treatment, TESE is more often proposed for men with testicular cancer presenting with azoospermia since TESE can be performed simultaneously with tumor removal or orchiectomy. After chemotherapy, TESE may be planned if the patient presents with persistent azoospermia.
Topics: Child; Humans; Male; Azoospermia; Testicular Neoplasms; Quality of Life; Spermatozoa; Testis; Syndrome; Sperm Retrieval; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35259785
DOI: 10.4103/aja2021129 -
Academic Radiology May 2024Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been increasingly used for the diagnostic identification of neoplasms due to its ability to visualize the microvascularization of... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been increasingly used for the diagnostic identification of neoplasms due to its ability to visualize the microvascularization of lesions. In the study of testicular abnormalities, the appropriate use of CEUS can improve the diagnostic accuracy of conventional gray-scale ultrasound and color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS). The purpose of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic performance of CEUS in testicular space-occupying lesions.
METHODS
A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases was conducted from the inception of each database to November 16, 2022 for relevant studies. The required data were extracted, and the methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. The diagnostic value of CEUS was assessed by calculating the combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio, and a summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was used to conduct this meta-analysis.
RESULTS
A total of six studies with 354 testicular space-occupying lesions were included in the analysis. The results showed that CEUS could provide additional useful information for the diagnosis of testicular space-occupying lesions, with a sensitivity of 0.92 (95% CI:0.82, 0.97), specificity of 0.91 (95% CI:0.80, 0.96), diagnostic odds ratio of 114 (95% CI:25, 528), respectively, and an overall diagnostic accuracy expressed as area under the SROC curve (AUC) of 0.97 (95% CI:0.95-0.98). Significant heterogeneity was seen in the sensitivity with I = 82.53% (95% CI:69.44-95.61). Subgroup analysis revealed that the proportion of infertile patients selected may be the source of heterogeneity.
CONCLUSION
CEUS can be used to diagnose testicular space-occupying lesions more accurately and improve diagnostic accuracy when the conventional US cannot accurately differentiate the type of lesion. In particular, CEUS should be recommended for the identification of microscopic lesions so that physicians can provide patients with more appropriate interventions to avoid unnecessary orchiectomy.
PubMed: 38714430
DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2024.04.030 -
[Partial orchiectomy in testicular tumor: Surgical technique and role of intraoperatory ecography.].Archivos Espanoles de Urologia Oct 2019Systematic review of the treatment of small testicular masses (STM) by testicular sparing surgery (TSS), including indications, surgical techniques and complications, as...
OBJECTIVES
Systematic review of the treatment of small testicular masses (STM) by testicular sparing surgery (TSS), including indications, surgical techniques and complications, as well as the correlation of the analysis of frozen sections (FSE) with the final tumor histology. As a secondary objective we report the initial experience of our center in TSS.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A systematic literature search of the Medline/PubMed database for studies published until June 30, 2019 with the following keywords: "testis sparing surgery", "conservative surgery", "partial orquiectomy" "testicular neoplasms", "testis tumour", "Sex cord tumor", "intraoperative ultrasonography", "enucleation", "excision" or "resection" without time limits, in English and Spanish, identifying 20 articles with a total of 204 TSS, being the series with the largest sample size of 28. In our service, 8 TSS were performed in 6 patients (two bilateral tumor) distributed between 2016-2019.
RESULTS
No randomized controlled trials comparing TSS with radical orchiectomy have been reported. The indications for TSS are controversial, especially for patients with normal contralateral testicles. Tumor size has been identified as an important predictor of malignant disease and although there is no approved cut-off point, STM ≤2 cm are the ones that can benefit most from TSS. The use of intraoperative ultrasound (IU) is essential for the location of STM, whether a macroscopic or microsurgical resection is being performed, helping to reduce the rate of complications of the procedure, described in < 6%. The FSE is key at the time of the TSS, discriminating between benign and malignant neoplasms, maintaining a good correlation with the final histology.
CONCLUSIONS
TSS for STM allows greater preservation of healthy parenchyma, but should be performed only in selected cases and in experienced centers. The surgical technique is safe and viable, the use of the IU and the FSE of the lesion being essential to facilitate the surgical decision making.
Topics: Humans; Male; Orchiectomy; Organ Sparing Treatments; Testicular Neoplasms; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 31579036
DOI: No ID Found -
Urology Case Reports Jan 2021We highlight the case of a 12 year old male who presented after sustaining a gunshot injury to the scrotum resulting in testicular, prostatic, and urethral transection...
We highlight the case of a 12 year old male who presented after sustaining a gunshot injury to the scrotum resulting in testicular, prostatic, and urethral transection in addition to pelvic fracture, extra peritoneal bladder injury, and transmural injury to recto sigmoid and ileum. The patient underwent a left orchiectomy, primary repair of the bladder and urethra, placement of universal plate on superior pubic rami, and segmental rectosigmoid and ileum resection. These findings illustrate the collaborative efforts of trauma surgery and urology to treat complex lower genitourinary (GU) injuries and how the direct prioritization of surgical efforts provides acceptable outcomes.
PubMed: 33304819
DOI: 10.1016/j.eucr.2020.101500 -
Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases Jun 2015Conflicting evidence exists regarding the beneficial effects of metformin in prostate cancer. To determine the association between metformin and clinical outcomes in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Conflicting evidence exists regarding the beneficial effects of metformin in prostate cancer. To determine the association between metformin and clinical outcomes in prostate cancer using systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
Original articles published in English until third week of July, 2014 were searched in electronic databases (Medline-Ovid, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest) for studies on metformin use in prostate cancer. The clinical outcomes assessed were: development of biochemical recurrence, metastases or castration-resistant metastatic cancer, all-cause and prostate cancer-specific mortality. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate the pooled hazard ratio (pHR) and their 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Heterogeneity between the studies was examined using I2 statistics. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the robustness of findings and publication bias was assessed by the Egger's regression asymmetry test and contour plot.
RESULTS
Out of 230 retrieved citations, eight retrospective cohort studies and one nested-case-control study met the inclusion criteria. Metformin use was marginally associated with reduction in the risk of biochemical recurrence (pHR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.67, 1.01, P-value=0.06, I2=25%, five studies). Metformin use was not significantly associated with metastases (pHR: 0.59, 95% 0.30-1.18, P-value=0.14, I2=74%, three studies), all-cause mortality (pHR: 0.86; 95% CI, 0.67, 1.10, P-value=0.23, I2: 73%, six studies) and prostate cancer-specific mortality (pHR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.43, 1.33, P-value = 0.33, I2=60%, four studies). Pooled estimates for all outcomes varied in sensitivity analysis by diabetes status and primary treatment of prostate cancer. Systematic review revealed mixed findings on metformin use and the risk of CRPC.
CONCLUSIONS
Metformin may reduce the risk of biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer. Given the potential of selection bias in the observational studies, randomized trials should be designed to assess the efficacy of metformin use in prostate cancer.
Topics: Case-Control Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Humans; Male; Metformin; Neoplasm Staging; Orchiectomy; Prostate; Prostatic Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 25667109
DOI: 10.1038/pcan.2014.52 -
Canadian Urological Association Journal... Feb 2020We sought to address whether there are clinical responses when patients who are failing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist therapy are switched to degarelix....
INTRODUCTION
We sought to address whether there are clinical responses when patients who are failing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist therapy are switched to degarelix. Androgen-deprivation therapy remains the backbone of treatment for disseminated prostate cancer and may be achieved with orchiectomy, GnRH agonists, or degarelix, a GnRH antagonist.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with a search of the BIOSIS Previews, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases using key terms. Quantitative meta-analysis was performed to provide a pooled estimate of prostate specific antigen (PSA) response at three months.
RESULTS
Thirteen studies were identified, eight of which were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses. Patient characteristics were broadly similar between the studies. Out of 155 patients across all included studies, 20 had stable PSA after the switch (12.9%), 14 had a 10-30% decrease in PSA (9.0%), three had a 30-50% decrease (1.9%), and 13 had a more than 50% decrease (8.4%). Random effects meta-analysis of these data demonstrated a pooled response rate of 27.75% (95% confidence interval 18.9-36.5%; I=7.9%). Changes in testosterone levels following the switch could not be quantitatively assessed due to lack of sufficient data.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that a switch to GnRH antagonist following progression on a GnRH agonist may result in a stable or decreased PSA at three months in about 30% of patients. This information should be considered among the potential options to discuss with patients with a rising PSA on GnRH agonist therapy.
PubMed: 31348745
DOI: 10.5489/cuaj.5996