Retroperitoneal Lymphadenectomy for Testicular Tumors

Sixty-four patients have been observed for three years or more after radical lymphadenectomy for nonseminomatous germinal-cell tumors of the testis. The results of this study indicate that survival rates of patients with stage A teratocarcinoma and embryonal carcinoma were excellent (93% and 94%, respectively). In patients with stage B tumors, survival rates were far better in the teratocarcinoma group (77%) than in patients with embryonal carcinoma (29%). The study failed to document the value of postlymphadenectomy radiation therapy for either embryonal carcinoma or teratocarcinoma. Furthermore, there appears to be no advantage to bilateral lymphadenectomy over unilateral lymph-node dissection. Results from studies employing either the lumbar approach or transperitoneal approach appear to be equal.