Distribution of testicular tumors in Lebanon: a single institution overview.
BACKGROUND
Testicular tumors constitute a rare type of cancer affecting adolescents and young adults with recent reports confirming an increase in incidence worldwide. The purpose of this study was to estimate the epidemiological characteristics and histological subtypes of testicular tumors in the Lebanese population according to the WHO classification of testicular and paratesticular tumors.


METHODS
In this single institutional retrospective study, all patients diagnosed with a testicular tumor in Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital University in Beirut between 1992 and 2014 were enrolled. The age, subtype based on the 2004 WHO classification and body side of tumor were analyzed.


RESULTS
A total of two hundred and forty-four (244) patients diagnosed with a testicular tumor in our institution were included in the study. Two hundred and one patients (82.4% of all testicular tumors) had germ cell tumors (TGCT). Among TGCT, 50% were seminomatous tumors, 48% non-seminomatous tumors (NST) and 2% were spermatocytic seminomas. The NST were further divided into mixed germ cell tumors (63.9%), embryonic carcinomas (18.6%), teratomas (15.4%) and yolk sac tumors (2.1%). The mean age for testicular tumors was 32 years. The mean age for germ cell tumors was 31 years and further subtypes such as seminomatous tumors had a mean age of 34 years, 28 years in non-seminomatous tumors and 56 years in spermatocytic seminoma. Patients with right testicular tumor were the predominant group with 55% of patients. Three patients (1.2%) presented with bilateral tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
The distribution of different subgroups and the mean age for testicular tumors proved comparable to most countries of the world except for some Asian countries. Germ cell tumors are the most common subtype of testicular tumors with seminomatous tumors being slightly more prevalent than non-seminomatous tumors in Lebanese patients.
Hematology-Oncology Department, Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon E-mail : marcrassymd@gmail.com.
Tarek
T
Assi
Marc
M
Rassy
Hussein
H
Nassereddine
Claude
C
Sader-Ghorra
Gerard
G
Abadjian
Marwan
M
Ghosn
Joseph
J
Kattan
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D007984:Leydig Cell Tumor / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018239:Seminoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018312:Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors / Q000453:epidemiology; D013724:Teratoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult