title: Recurrence pattern of metastatic testicular cancers after chemotherapy.
abstract: Recurrence pattern of metastatic testicular cancer after the initial treatment was investigated. Seventy-seven patients with metastatic testicular cancer were treated by cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Patients with residual masses after chemotherapy and whose tumor markers were normalized underwent surgical resections. Of the 77 patients, 61 achieved cancer free status and 4 who did not need the study criteria excluded. Recurrences were detected in 12 (21.1%) patients, 2 (7.1%) patients among 28 stage II patients; 10 (34.5%) patients among 29 stage III patients; none (0%) patients among 14 seminoma patients and 12 (27.9%) patients among 43 non-seminoma patients. All recurrences were detected within 17 months (median, 3) after the initial treatment. Of the 12 patients experiencing recurrence, 4 died of cancer. The recurrence rate of the patients in stage III was significantly higher than that in stage II. No recurrence was detected in patients with seminoma. Follow-up studies after treatment should include serum tumor markers and computed tomographic scanning of lung, abdomen and pelvis at defined intervals. Intensive follow-up will be needed especially for the patients in stage III and with non-seminoma. Follow-up within the first two years is especially important in detecting recurrence after chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai. suzukikj@dream.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoshi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orikasa
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012008:Recurrence; D018239:Seminoma / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin