title: The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of testicular germ cell tumors.
abstract: Infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy remains the treatment of choice for patients with stage I and II (small volume) testicular seminoma. With this approach, the disease-free survival rate exceeds 90% to 95%, and the ultimate disease-free survival rate (including salvage) is 95% to 100%. Initial therapy for patients with large-volume stage II, III, and IV disease should include multiagent systemic chemotherapy. Involved field radiotherapy is recommended for these patients following the chemotherapy, especially in patients with residual masses larger than a few centimeters. Although not used frequently in the United States, infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy is a viable treatment option for patients with clinical stage I testicular nonseminomas. Such therapy results in approximately an 85% to 90% relapse-free survival rate, with an ultimate survival rate (including salvage) approaching 100%. Initial therapy for patients with stage II or greater disease generally should include chemotherapy and/or surgery. Radiotherapy is often useful as post-chemotherapy consolidation, especially for unresectable masses. For extra-gonadal seminomas, radiotherapy is useful as definitive therapy for small-volume disease and as consolidative therapy (postchemotherapy) for more advanced disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Anscher
authors.forename: W U
authors.initials: WU
authors.lastname: Shipley
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004407:Dysgerminoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery