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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Germ Cell Transplantation and Testis Tissue Xenografting in Mice
Published on: February 6, 2012
Rete Testis Invasion Is Consistent With Pathologic Stage T1 in Germ Cell Tumors
Ayesha Farooq1, Merce Jorda2, Elizabeth Whittington2
1Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Objectives:
Rete testis invasion by germ cell tumors is frequently concomitant with lymphovascular or spermatic cord invasion (LVI/SCI); independent implications for staging are uncertain.
Methods:
In total, 171 seminomas and 178 nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs; 46 had 1%-60% seminoma component) came from five institutions. Metastatic status at presentation, as a proxy for severity, was available for all; relapse data were unavailable for 152. Rete direct invasion (ReteD) and rete pagetoid spread (ReteP) were assessed.
Results:
ReteP and ReteD were more frequent in seminoma than NSGCT. In seminoma, tumor size bifurcated at 3 cm or more or less than 3 cm predicted metastatic status. Tumors with ReteP or ReteD did not differ in size from those without invasions but were less than with LVI/SCI; metastatic status or relapse did not show differences. In NSGCT, ReteP/ReteD did not correlate with size, metastatic status, or relapse.
Conclusions:
Findings support retaining American Joint Committee for Cancer pathologic T1 stage designation for rete testis invasion and pT1a/pT1b substaging of seminoma.
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