[Testicular tumors. Predictive factors]

Patients with germ cell tumors of the testis can be given adjuvant treatment immediately after orchidectomy or put under surveillance with definitive treatment deferred until relapse. Both therapies are equally successful (success rate 98-99%), with surveillance alone, however, only approximately 50% of cases need toxic chemotherapy. The surveillance strategy is especially successful in patients with tumors which do not have morphological predictors of metastases. In seminomas the strongest predictor of metastases is tumor invasion of the rete testis followed by the size (Ø > or =4 cm) of the tumor. Vascular invasion, the most important predictor in non-seminomatous germ cell tumors, is less important in seminomas. The second most important predictor in mixed tumors is the presence or absence and the amount of embryonal carcinoma. The presence of teratomas and yolk sac tumors are considered to be predictors of a favorable course of the disease. The statistical impact of these markers is, however, not very strong. The only reliable predictor of malignancy of the gonadal stromal tumors is the size and tumors with a diameter > or =5 cm are always malignant.