Alessandra Pellegrini
University of Pisa, Italy
Title: Post-orchiectomy active surveillance in testicular germ cells tumors in pediatric age: which indications?
Biography
Biography: Alessandra Pellegrini
Abstract
Aim of the Study: assessing the viability of post-orchiectomy active surveillance approach for testicular germ cells tumors.
Methods: we analyzed 52 patients who underwent surgery for testicular germ cell tumors from 2009 to 2014. The patients were divided by age in Group A (12 patients, age 0-14) and group B (40 patients, age 16-39). Inguinal orchiectomy was performed in all patients. Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy was performed with orchiectomy in 4 patients (7.7%). Post-surgical management differed based on clinical stage and active surveillance or adjuvant therapy was carried out.
Main Results: After an average 7 year follow-up, the overall survival rate is 100% and, to date, all of our patients are still alive. 2 years after surgery we recorded a total of 11 relapses (21,1%). 3 (12%) of them occurred in patients followed with active surveillance, while 8 (29,6%) of them occurred in patients who underwent active treatment.
Conclusions: we observed an excellent prognosis in both age groups and this confirms that testicular germ cell tumors are curable. We believe that active surveillance is an optimal option for tumors at Stage I, because of their low risk of relapse. However, post-surgical treatment should be taken into consideration for germ cells tumors with risk factors.