Background: The routine follow-up of patients with disseminated non-seminomatous testicular cancer (DNSTC) treated with the combination of orchidectomy, polychemotherapy, and if needed, resection of the residual mass, consists of regular physical examinations, chest X-rays (CXR) and tumor marker assessments. Most guidelines for this routine follow-up originate from multi-center trials. In order to estimate the value of CXR in the detection of tumor relapse after complete remission, we reviewed all patients with disseminated testicular cancer treated with chemotherapy at the University Hospital Groningen.
Patients and methods: Three hundred and fifty-three consecutive patients with DNSTC treated between February 1977 and February 1999 at our institution were reviewed. Two hundred and ninety (82.2%) patients, who were in complete remission after cisplatin-containing chemotherapy followed by, if necessary, resection of the residual mass, entered this analysis. The follow-up schedule consisted of regular physical examinations, tumor marker assessment (lactate dehydrogenase, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-FP) and CXR. In all patients the first diagnostic sign of tumor relapse was documented.
Results: During a median follow-up of 107 months (range 8-261) a tumor relapse was documented in 33 patients (11.4%). Median time to relapse was 17 months (range 6-179) after the start of chemotherapy. In 27 patients, tumor relapse was first detected by a rise in tumor markers. Two patients presented their relapse with neurological complaints. Both were diagnosed with brain metastasis. In four patients the relapse was detected by both increase in tumor markers and abnormalities in the physical examination. In none of the 33 relapsed patients was routine CXR during follow-up involved in the detection of tumor recurrence. All but one of the relapsed patients had elevated tumor markers before the start of chemotherapy. The total number of CXR made during follow-up in all 290 patients was 10 160; none were diagnostic for the detected relapses.
Conclusions: These data suggest that routine CXR has no additional value in the detection of tumor relapses during follow-up after chemotherapy in the subset of patients who present their DNSTC with increased tumor markers and are in complete remission after treatment. In order to save valuable resources, CXR can be omitted from the follow-up schedule after chemotherapy for marker-positive non-seminomatous testicular cancer in complete remission.