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INTRODUCTION: Bilateral testicular germ cell tumor (BGCT) is a rare disease, occasionally considered to be more aggressive than unilateral germ cell tumors (GCT) in some reports. Among BGCT, a synchronous disease might be diagnosed at a higher stage than a metachronous disease, resulting in lower cancer-specific survival. Hence, our study aimed to perform a comparative analysis between unilateral testicular GCT, bilateral synchronous GCT, and bilateral metachronous GCT, aiming to verify the possibility that BGCT is diagnosed with a higher stage and may require more aggressive management. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In our multicenter retrospective study we reviewed medical records of 40 patients with BGCT (24 metachronous and 16 synchronous). Clinical characteristics, pathological features of the primary and secondary tumors, adjuvant treatments (chemotherapy and radiotherapy)and sperm quality were evaluated as well as cancer-specific survival and overall survival. A cohort of one-to-one matched patients with unilateral GCT were used to determine risk factors for developing BGCT. RESULTS: Patients with BGCT were slightly younger compared to those with unilateral GCT and had more advanced disease. Despite similar T-stage distribution between the two groups, nodal involvement was nearly twofold more frequent in patients with BGCT disease (42% vs 22%, p = 0.056). Additionally, although similar histological subtypes distribution at presentation among the two groups, the synchronous disease was diagnosed with a higher local T-stage (OR = 3.4), higher proportions of patients with elevated serum BHCG levels, and more frequent nodal involvement (OR = 2.2). This was later translated into an 18% higher disease-specific mortality rate. The median time to develop a contralateral tumor was 92 months. Pathological local T-stage (T2-T3) of the primary tumor predicted a shorter time interval to a diagnosis of a second contralateral tumor (HR 0.92, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BGCT presents at a younger age and potentially with more advanced disease. Synchronous BGCT is diagnosed at a later stage compared to metachronous BGCT and has higher disease-specific mortality. Metachronous tumors might have a long time interval for the development of a contralateral neoplasm. The main predictor of developing an early metachronous disease is a high primary T stage.
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BACKGROUND: The early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) is mainly based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood levels and digital rectal examination. However, this approach may result in a high rate of negative biopsies and increased detection of clinically insignificant PCa (CS-PCa). An important prognostic biomarker, PSA density (PSA-D) demonstrated improved performance in PCa detection compared to PSA. The relationship between prostate volume and the prognostic accuracy of PSA-D remains mostly unclear. The aim of our study is to investigate the PSA-D predictive value of CS-PCa detection at different prostate volumes. METHODS: Using our local radical prostatectomy registry, patients were divided into three prostate size subgroups based on preoperative sonographic prostate volume assessment: less than 50, 50-75, and more than 75 cc. Patients' and PCa characteristics were recorded, including age, body mass index, PSA at diagnosis, prostate volume, PSA-D, D'Amico risk classification, Gleason grade group, and pathological staging following surgery. RESULTS: The study cohort included 364 patients who underwent Robotic Radical prostatectomy for biopsy-proven clinically localized PCa. 221 (61%) and 143 (39%) patients had PSA-D less than 0.15 and PSA-D more than 0.15, respectively. ISUP GG 1-2 PCa (CS-PCa) was observed in 220 patients (60%), while 144 (40%) had ISUP GG 3-5 PCa at final pathology. PSA-D correlated with CS-PCa only in small and medium-size prostates, but not in large glands (p = .03, p = .01, and p = .36, respectively). The highest sensitivity (72.7%) was observed in small prostates, compared to 3.2% in large prostates. The highest specificity (89.4%) was noted in large prostates. Positive predictive value in small and medium-size prostates was similar (~50%), compared to 20% in large glands. The negative predictive value was slightly better for small and medium-size prostates compared with large glands (68.9%, 73.7%, and 53.1%, respectively). An association between PSA-D and harboring CS-PCa was detected only in small and medium-size glands (72.7% and 43%, respectively). CONCLUSION: PSA-D is associated with CS-PCa detection in radical prostatectomy specimens in small and medium-size prostates. The level of PSA-D is directly associated with the ISUP PCa grade group. Therefore, PSA-D is a beneficial, available, and cost-effective tool during decision-making in patients with small and medium-size prostate when considering treatment for PCa.
