title: Germ cell tumour: late recurrence after 43 years.
abstract: We report the late relapse of a patient following 43 years of surveillance of a germ cell tumour, thought to be a pure seminoma, having undergone yolk sac differentiation. The longest previous recorded time to relapse was 32 years (malignant teratoma with adenocarcinoma de-differentiation).(1) This case report demonstrates a late relapse of a testicular germ cell tumour is possible whatever the initial stage. European Association of Urology guidelines state close and active follow-up is mandatory for at least five years' surveillance due to the high and often late rate of relapse. Furthermore, they also suggest continuing follow-up although it is unclear as to how long this should last.(7)
authors.affiliation: Kent and Canterbury Hospital, UK. sohayl_m@hotmail.co.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukhtar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beatty
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Christmas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jameson
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Huddart
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D018239:Seminoma / Q000556:secondary*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms; D013997:Time Factors