Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Stage I and Low-volume Metastatic Germ Cell Tumors

Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) are the most common malignancy among young males. The majority of patients present with early stages of the disease that are highly curable. For stage I disease, treatment options include surveillance, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), and systemic chemotherapy. For stage II disease, systemic therapy had been the mainstay of treatment. However, it has recently been shown that primary RPLND is effective as a treatment for low-volume metastatic GCT and offers the benefit of avoiding chemotherapy in young men at risk of suffering the long-term sequelae of systemic treatments. In this narrative mini-review, we evaluate the data on primary RPLND for the management of stage I and low-volume metastatic GCT. PATIENT SUMMARY: This mini-review discusses the role of surgery involving removal of retroperitoneal lymph nodes for stage I and low-volume stage II testicular cancer. We found that for well-selected patients, surgery can be curative in the majority of cases and avoids the risks associated with systemic chemotherapy.