Testicular transposition in children undergoing brachytherapy for bladder and/or prostate rhabdomyosarcoma

Guenolee de Lambert; Cyrus Chargari; Véronique Minard-Colin; Christine Haie-Meder; Florent Guérin; Hélène Martelli

doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.04.018

Testicular transposition in children undergoing brachytherapy for bladder and/or prostate rhabdomyosarcoma

J Pediatr Surg. 2018 Jul;53(7):1428-1431. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.04.018. Epub 2018 Apr 13.

Authors

Guenolee de Lambert¹, Cyrus Chargari², Véronique Minard-Colin³, Christine Haie-Meder⁴, Florent Guérin⁵, Hélène Martelli⁵

Affiliations

¹ AP - HP, Bicêtre Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Sud, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, 94275, France. Electronic address: guenolee.delambert@aphp.fr.
² Gustave Roussy, Department of Radiotherapy, Villejuif, 94800, France; French Military Health Academy, Ecole du Val-de-Grâce, Paris 75005, France.
³ Gustave Roussy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Villejuif, 94800, France.
⁴ Gustave Roussy, Department of Radiotherapy, Villejuif, 94800, France.
⁵ AP - HP, Bicêtre Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Sud, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, 94275, France.

PMID: 29753523
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.04.018

Abstract

Background/purpose: Fertility preservation is a major goal in treatment of children with cancer. We describe a new technique of testicular transposition (TT) in patients treated with pulse-dose-rate (PDR) brachytherapy as part of the multimodal conservative treatment of bladder neck and/or prostate rhabdomyosarcoma (BP RMS).

Methods: Medical records of consecutive patients treated between September 2016 and August 2017 were studied. These patients underwent a TT performed during BP RMS surgery by the same suprapubic incision. The external oblique aponeurosis was not incised. The spermatic cord was mobilized up to the external inguinal ring, and the gubernaculum attachments were severed from the scrotum. The testis was then flipped over with care taken to avoid injury of the vessels or the vas, wrapped in a silicone material and sutured under the abdominal skin with a transfixing stitch facing the anterior superior iliac spine. At the end of brachytherapy, the testis was relocated in the scrotum and during the same general anesthesia, plastic tubes and stents were removed. Surgical outcome and dosimetric parameters were examined.

Results: Eight patients were identified. Median age was 24 months (range 11-80 months). All had embryonal BP RMS and received chemotherapy according to RMS 2005 protocol prior to local treatment. All patients underwent conservative surgery followed by brachytherapy (60 Gy) and had testicular transposition of one testis. None had surgical complications. After converting doses to biologically equivalent doses in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2), the dose delivered to 75% of the transposed testis was 1.5 GyEQD2 (1-3 GyEQD2), versus 5.4 GyEQD2 (3.9-9.4 Gy EQD2) for the untransposed testis (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Testicular transposition is feasible in order to potentially preserve fertility and future quality of life in children undergoing brachytherapy for BP RMS.

Type of study: Level IV Treatment Study: Case Study with no Comparison Group.

Keywords: Brachytherapy; Fertility preservation; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Testicular transposition.

MeSH terms

Brachytherapy / methods*
Child, Preschool
Conservative Treatment*
Humans
Infant
Male
Prostatic Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / methods
Rhabdomyosarcoma / radiotherapy*
Rhabdomyosarcoma / surgery
Testis / surgery
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / radiotherapy*