Nonseminomatous germ cell tumor of the testicle: does extensive staging of the primary tumor predict the likelihood of metastatic disease?

To assess the hypothesis that local extent of the primary lesion in patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testicle can predict disseminated disease, clinicopathological correlations of the primary tumor and metastases were determined in a retrospective review of 120 patients treated at our institution from 1970 to 1982. Pathological staging was available for all 93 patients with subdiaphragmatic disease and the primary tumor was examined by routine histological techniques in all cases. Increased primary tumor stage, as evidenced by invasion into the tunica vasculosa or extension into the rete testis, epididymis and/or lower or upper spermatic cord, was associated with metastatic disease in 91, 96, 97 and 97 per cent of the patients, respectively. Only 9 per cent of the patients with pathological stage A disease had vascular invasion compared to 45 and 67 per cent of those with stages B and C disease, respectively (p less than 0.01). Furthermore, metastases and/or eventual dissemination occurred in 84 per cent of the patients with clinical stage A disease and vascular invasion, and in only 23 per cent of those without vascular invasion (p less than 0.01). Size of the primary tumor was not of predictive value. Local extension of the primary lesion was common with embryonal carcinoma but it was not demonstrated when the predominant histological type was teratoma or teratocarcinoma, although metastases were present in 37 and 46 per cent of the latter cases, respectively. The implications of these findings, especially with regard to expectant management for clinical stage A nonseminomatous germ cell testis tumors, are discussed.