Metastatic surgery in testis cancer.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In testis cancer, prognosis is excellent even in metastatic disease. Treatment and timing of patients with multiple metastatic deposits can be challenging. This review was performed to underline the current guideline recommendations.

RECENT FINDINGS: Depending on the primary histology, the indication of further surgical resections differ. In seminoma, resídual tumor resections are performed according to the results of a flouoro-deoxy-D-glucose-PET. Positive results must be considered critically, and to recent results it is advisable to first repeat flouoro-deoxy-D-glucose-PET to avoid overtreatment. In nonseminomatous germ cell cancer, complete remissions in good prognosis patients are followed and can be spared from surgery. All other patients still need to undergo postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. In bone metastases, significant histology is found in 80% so that one should go for complete resection. In liver metastases, resections can be performed according to the histology in the retroperitoneum. Both resections, including vessel replacement, are usually performed in one session underlining the complex multidisciplinary approach. Pulmonal metastases, at least in one lobe, need to be resected. Brain metastases are rare with no standard treatment recommendation.

SUMMARY: Every patient should be presented in a multidisciplinary tumor board. Surgical interventions should be done in tertiary referral centers to achieve the best oncologic outcome and reduced morbidity.