[Evidence based medicine indications for radiation therapy in testicular germ cell tumours]

Urologe A. 2004 Dec;43(12):1500-6. doi: 10.1007/s00120-004-0706-3.
[Article in German]

Abstract

The intensity of adjuvant radiotherapy for stage I seminoma could be reduced substantially in recent years, achieving cure with low side effects and a low probability of late complications. Today a dose of 20 Gy is applied to the para-aortic lymphatics. Valuable treatment alternatives to radiotherapy have emerged: surveillance strategy allows 80% of patients to avoid further treatment. However, the remaining 20% will be exposed to potentially more intensive salvage therapy. Adjuvant carboplatinum chemotherapy offers similar disease-free survival to adjuvant radiotherapy. Long-term experience with late toxicity is not available. In seminoma CS IIA/B curative irradiation remains the standard treatment. Brain metastases of testicular germ cell tumors are treated with a combination of chemotherapy and cranial irradiation. In intratubular germ cell neoplasia (TIN), radiotherapy with 20 Gy will safely eliminate all TIN loci, but will destroy potential residual fertility.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Brain Neoplasms / secondary
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Evidence-Based Medicine*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / radiotherapy*
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / secondary
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians'
  • Radiotherapy / methods*
  • Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / methods
  • Risk Assessment / methods*
  • Risk Factors
  • Testicular Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Testicular Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents