ABSTRACT
Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the testicle is rare. We analysed cases treated in French anticancer centres from 1969 to 1995. All cases were reviewed and classified according to the R.E.A.L. Classification. Eighty-four cases were included in this study. The median age was 67 years (17-85). Disease was classified as stages I in 42 cases, stages II in 19 and stages III-IV in 23. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was diagnosed in 75% of cases. Treatment included orchidectomy and radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. A complete response was obtained in 72.6% of the patient population and in 100%, 68% and 33% of stage I, II and III-IV disease respectively. Recurrence occurred in 32 cases and the most frequent site was the central nervous system: six of these patients presented stage I disease. Median overall survival was 32 months for the entire population, 52 months for stage I, 32 months for stage II, and 12 months for stage III-IV cases (P < 0.0001). Among patients presenting stage I disease, no difference was found between those treated with combined surgery and chemotherapy or surgery followed or not followed by radiotherapy. This study confirms that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the testicle carries a poor prognosis. Systemic adjuvant chemotherapy should be discussed because of the high recurrence rate. Inclusion of these cases in large co-operative prospective studies is recommended.
Subject(s)
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/pathology , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/therapy , Orchiectomy , Testicular Neoplasms/pathology , Testicular Neoplasms/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Combined Modality Therapy , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Neoplasm Staging , Prognosis , Radiotherapy , Retrospective Studies , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
The aim of the present retrospective study was to assess long-term survival after cisplatin-based chemotherapy in 398 patients with advanced urothelial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) treated at seven international oncological units. Various combinations of cisplatin, methotrexate, vinblastine (or vincristine) and doxorubicin were used. The complete response rate according to the WHO criteria was 17%. Partial responses were obtained in 42% of the patients. The overall cancer-related 2 year and 5 year survival rates were 21% and 11% respectively. Based on multivariate analyses, a good prognosis group could be identified comprising patients with a good performance status with disease confined to lymph nodes (14%) or patients with T4b disease only. These patients had a 28% 5 year survival rate, which, in part, has to be related to post-chemotherapy consolidation treatment in patients with pelvis-confined disease (radiotherapy, 26%; total cystectomy, 11%). Fifteen patients died of chemotherapy-related complications and in 16% of the patients toxicity led to discontinuation of treatment. Modern cisplatin-based chemotherapy leads to long-term survival and cure of selected patients with advanced urothelial transitional cancer. In routine clinical practice, chemotherapy should be offered to good prognosis patients; those presenting with a good performance status and a non-metastasising T4b tumour or with metastases confined to lymph nodes. Post-chemotherapy consolidation treatment by surgery or radiotherapy should always be considered. Such chemotherapy requires oncological expertise in order to avoid unnecessary toxicity.