Background: Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is obsolete for treatment of seminomas, radiation therapy is the treatment of choice. As no literature is available about a comparison of both methods, we refer to data of the University of Magdeburg.
Patients and methods: Hundred and sixty-one patients with seminoma of stage I and II were retrospectively analysed. They were treated at the University of Magdeburg between 1975 and 1991 by radiation therapy of regional lymph nodes or by retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. After high semicastration, 98 patients were irradiated, 63 patients received a retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Twenty-one patients were treated by adjuvant chemotherapy, too.
Results: The 5-year survival-rates according to Kaplan-Meier were 96% for stage I, 85% for stage IIA, 92% for state IIB, and 68% for stage IIC. The overall survival rates for all stages were 95% after 2 years, 92% after 5 years, and 89% after 10 years. Relapses located retroperitoneally occurred significantly more often after retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy (9.5%) compared with radiation therapy (2.0%), relapses outside the operation situs or radiation fields, respectively, were registrated at the same frequency (4.8% and 7.1%, respectively). Disease-free survival rates decreased significantly with increasing stages (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon-test). Relapses increased from 4.1% for stage I up to 58.3% for stage IIC.
Conclusion: After semicastration for primary treatment of seminomas radiation therapy of the regional lymph nodes is the treatment of choice. Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is obsolete.