title: Craniocaudal retroperitoneal node length as a risk factor for relapse from clinical stage I testicular germ cell tumor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether retroperitoneal craniocaudal nodal length or nodal volume predicts relapse risk in stage I testicular cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 826 testicular cancer patients. Of these 826 patients, 118 had stage I disease and either less than 2 years of surveillance or retroperitoneal lymph node dissection with no adjuvant chemotherapy. These patients formed our analytic cohort, and 3D nodal volumes and craniocaudal nodal length were measured. Association between relapse risk and craniocaudal nodal length and nodal volume was evaluated using univariable or multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for known prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-six (56%) of 118 patients had nonseminomatous germ cell tumor and 52 (44%) had seminomatous germ cell tumor. Craniocaudal nodal length proved to be an independent risk factor in nonseminomatous germ cell tumors using a multivariable logistic regression model adjusting for other potential known risk factors of embryonal predominance and lymphovascular invasion. For every 3-mm increase in craniocaudal nodal length, the risk of relapse increased by 52% (odds ratio [OR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.03-2.25). For patients with seminomas, only primary tumor size was an independent risk factor for relapse (1.34, 1.02-1.75).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, craniocaudal nodal length was shown to be associated with increased risk of relapse independently of other known risk factors. If validated in an independent cohort, craniocaudal nodal length could provide important additional information to inform management decisions in these patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Departments of Oncology, Radiology, and Radiation Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Kathryn P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Fennessy
authors.forename: Clair J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Beard
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sweeney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D012008:Recurrence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: craniocaudal; craniocaudal lymph nodes; retroperitoneal; testicular cancer; testis cancer