Para-aortic irradiation only appears to be adequate treatment for patients with Stage I seminoma of the testis.

PURPOSE: Results of treatment of patients with Stage I seminoma with orchiectomy and radiotherapy are excellent. Even without adjuvant radiotherapy, the relapse rate is only 15-20%; most of the patients fail in the retroperitoneum, with rare failures observed in the pelvis (0.5-2%). In 1991, we began a prospective study evaluating para-aortic lymph node radiation as the only adjuvant treatment for such patients. This paper reports our preliminary results.

MATERIALS & METHODS: Between March 1991 and January 1996, 35 patients with histologically proven Stage I seminoma were entered in the study. Median age was 37.9 years (range: 27-65 years). A radical inguinal orchiectomy was performed in all patients. Staging workup consisted of a chest X-ray; B-HCG, alpha-fetoprotein, and CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis in all patients. Lymphangiogram was done in 23 (66%) of 35 patients for further evaluation of the retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Radiotherapy consisted of treatment to the para-aortic region only. Parallel opposed fields extending from the top of T11 to the bottom of L5 were used. The median field size was 8.7 x 21.8 cm (range: 7-11 x 18-26 cm). The median total dose, prescribed at midpoint, was 25 Gy given in 15 daily fractions of 1.66 Gy. Follow-up was performed every 3 months for the first year, every 4-5 months for the second and third years, and every 6 months thereafter. Chest X-ray, tumor markers, and CT scan of the pelvis were performed routinely as part of the follow-up investigation.

RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 39.7 months (range: 16-74 months), 34 (97.1%) of 35 patients are alive with no evidence of disease for an overall actuarial survival rate of 97.1% at 5 years and a cause-specific actuarial survival rate of 100%. Treatment morbidity was limited to Grade I-II acute side effects in 18 (51.4%) of 35 patients. No late side effects were seen.

CONCLUSION: From our preliminary results, adjuvant radiation treatment limited to the para-aortic lymph node region, without ipsilateral pelvic irradiation, appears to be adequate treatment for Stage I seminoma. Such an approach in our patients resulted in minimal toxicity and excellent disease-free survival.