title: Survival after a diagnosis of testicular germ cell cancers in Germany and the United States, 2002-2006: a high resolution study by histology and age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to provide detailed age-specific (5-year age groups) and histology-specific (histologic subtypes of seminoma and nonseminoma) relative survival estimates of testicular germ cell cancer patients in Germany and the United States (U.S.) for the years 2002-2006 and to compare these estimates between countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We pooled data from 11 cancer registries of Germany and used data from the U.S. (SEER-13 database) including 11,508 and 10,774 newly diagnosed cases (1997-2006) in Germany and the U.S., respectively. We estimated 5-year relative survival (5-year-RS) by histology and age based on period analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  5-year-RS for testicular germ cell tumors was 96.7% and 96.3% in Germany and the U.S., respectively. 5-Year-RS for spermatocytic seminoma was close to 100% in both countries. 5-Year-RS for nonseminoma was lower than for classical seminoma in Germany (93.3% versus 97.6%) and the U.S. (91.0% versus 98.2%). Among nonseminomas, choriocarcinomas provided the lowest 5-year-RS in both countries (Germany 80.1%, U.S. 79.6%). Age-specific 5-year-RS for seminoma showed only little variation by age. 5-Year-RS for nonseminomas tended to be lower at higher ages, especially for malignant teratoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study that provides up-to-date survival estimates for testicular cancer by histology and age in Germany and the U.S. Survival after a diagnosis of testicular cancer is very comparable between Germany and the U.S. 5-Year-RS for spermatocytic seminoma was close to 100% and the lowest 5-year-RS occurred among choriocarcinoma. Higher age at diagnosis is associated with a poorer prognosis among nonseminoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany. andreas.stang@uk-halle.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trabert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rusner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eberle
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katalinic
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Emrich
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holleczek
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D018426:SEER Program; D018239:Seminoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013724:Teratoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult