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Relationship Between the Pathologic Subtype/Initial Stage and Microliths in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors
Farhana Sharmeen1, Michael H Rosenthal1, Monica J Wood2
1Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA (F.S., M.H.R., S.H.T., S.A.H.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA (F.S., M.H.R., S.H.T., S.A.H.); Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA (M.J.W.); and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA (C.S.).
Testicular microliths are associated with a higher percentage of seminomas and earlier disease stages in testicular cancer patients. This finding may aid in early diagnosis and understanding tumor characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Testicular microliths are calcifications found in testicular tissue.
- Their association with germ cell tumor (GCT) subtypes and stage is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between testicular microliths and GCT histologic subtypes.
- To determine if microliths correlate with tumor stage at diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 346 testicular cancer patients (1999-2013).
- Evaluation of unaffected testicular tissue for microliths via sonography.
- Correlation of microlith count with histologic subtype and tumor stage.
Main Results:
- 51% of patients had 1 or more microliths; 20% had >5 microliths.
- Higher microlith counts correlated with increased seminoma percentage (P=.036) and decreased embryonal component percentage (P=.007).
- Increased microlith count was associated with lower tumor stage at diagnosis (P=.0243).
Conclusions:
- Testicular microliths may indicate a higher proportion of seminomas and fewer embryonal components in GCTs.
- Microliths are associated with earlier stages of testicular cancer at diagnosis.
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