Testicular seminomas in Saudi Arabia: clinical characteristics, prognostic indicators, and recommendations for...

Thirty Saudi patients with pure testicular seminoma were treated at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January 1977 and June 1983. Disease characteristics in Saudi Arabia including clinical findings, response to therapy, and prognosis are described and compared to those in other populations reported in the literature. Symptom durations were 3 to 42 months. Many of the patients presented with an extensive tumor burden and a poor performance status. There was a higher incidence of anaplastic seminoma and of cryptorchidism than in other series and a relatively high incidence of elevated betahuman chorionic gonadotropin (B-HCG). Patients initially underwent funiculo-orchiectomy. Twenty-two patients received radiation therapy and four received chemotherapy. Patients with limited disease responded well to orchiectomy and radiation therapy. However, those with extensive tumor burden had an unsatisfactory response to radiation therapy. Preradiation chemotherapy is recommended for patients with massive retroperitoneal metastases, nodal disease above the diaphragm, or extranodal disease and patients with minimal or moderate sized retroperitoneal nodal disease associated with an elevated B-HCG.