Lymphadenectomy for testicular carcinoma

Since 50% of patients with testicular tumour have retroperitoneal metastases at the time of presentation, there has been little argument that the area of primary drainage requires further treatment following orchiectomy. Patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumours in stages A and B are candidates for retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy because this procedure is of therapeutic value and allows accurate staging of the disease. The development of extremely effective modern, cyclic, multidrug chemotherapy for extensive nonseminomatous testicular tumour has led to a rethinking of the role of lymphadenectomy in treating testicular cancer. Clinical staging is still not 100% accurate even with modern techniques. Lymphadenectomy, therefore, continues to be an important step in managing patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumours. These facts are endorsed by the authors' review of 72 cases of nonseminomatous germ cell tumours managed at McGill University teaching hospitals over a 10-year period. The authors also discuss the indications for retroperitoneal dissection.