[Testicular cancer in Iceland 2000-2009: Incidence and survival]

Survival of patients with testicular germ cell tumours has improved in recent years, mainly due to new modes of chemotherapy. We analyzed incidence, staging and survival of patients diagnosed during the last ten years in Iceland and compared the results to previous studies.

A retrospective study including all Icelandic males diagnosed during 2000-2009. Pathology reports were reviewed and the tumours staged (Boden-Gibb). Overall survival was estimated and seminomas (ST) and non-seminomas (N-ST) compared.

97 males were diagnosed, age-adjusted incidence being 5.9/100.000 males per year. The number of ST and N-ST was almost equal, and the mean age was 35.6 (range; 15-36), but patients with ST were 11.5 years older compared to N-ST. Symptoms were similar in both groups, also tumor size (4.0 cm), which did not change during the study period. Most of the tumours were in stage I, or 78.4%, 13.4% were in stage II og 8.2% in stage III-IV. ST were diagnosed at a significantly lower stage compared to N-ST (91.7 versus 65.3% in stage I; p=0.003). No distant metastases were diagnosed in patients with ST but in 8 patients with N-ST. Four patients died during the study period, two due to N-ST but no patient died because of ST. Five-year survival for the whole patient group was 95.1%.

The incidence of testicular carcinoma in Iceland is similar to neighbouring countries and has remained fairly constant for the last two decades. At the same time the number of patients with localized disease (stage I) as well as the size of the tumours has not changed significantly. Survival in Iceland is comparable to the best results reported elsewhere.