Comparison of histological results from the resection of residual masses at different sites after chemotherapy for metastatic non-seminomatous germ cell tumours.

Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy is considered standard treatment for patients with metastatic testicular cancer. However, despite the normalisation of serum tumour markers, 25-50% of patients will demonstrate residual neoplastic masses on radiological examination after completion of chemotherapy. The management of patients presenting with multiple residual masses at different localisations remains particularly difficult. This report summarises the histological findings and the clinical outcome of 27 patients with metastatic non-seminomatous germ cell tumours who underwent multiple resections for residual masses at different localisations after first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy at Hannover University Medical School between 1980 and 1995. Fifty-six resections were performed (27 retroperitoneal interventions, 21 thoracotomies, 4 resections of hepatic lesions, 3 neck dissections, 1 craniotomy). No surgery-related mortality was observed. 8 patients (30%) showed dissimilar histological findings at sequential or one-stage resections. 5 of these demonstrated less favourable pathological features (mature teratoma or undifferentiated tumour) at the second operation, while only necrosis (n = 3) or teratoma (n = 2) had been found following the first operation. Tumour necrosis was documented more frequently at thoracotomy (n = 15/21) compared to retroperitoneal lymph node excision (n = 17/27). By univariate analysis, completeness of surgery (R0 resection) and the histological finding of necrosis or differentiated teratoma were associated with improved relapse-free and overall survival. After a median follow-up period of 33 months (range 1-167), 19 of 26 (73%) evaluable patients are alive; 18 of 27 (67%) patients have continuous no evidence of disease (1 patient with recurrent disease was lost to follow-up). Since the histological findings in postchemotherapy residuals may vary between different anatomical sites and no prediction seems possible, patients are best managed by excision of all present tumour masses if technically feasible. Necrosis identified at thoractomy should not lead to omission of retroperitoneal lymph node resection since there was, in accordance to other authors, a trend that the retroperitoneum harbours unfavourable histological findings more frequently.