Robotic-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for stage II testicular cancer

Objective:To evaluate the perioperative as well as early oncological outcomes of patients undergoing robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for treatment of testicular cancer.Methods:We conducted a prospective consecutive case series of patients undergoing robotic assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for metastatic testicular cancer between May 2018 and July 2021 at our institution.Data were collected on patient and tumour characteristics,intraoperative and postoperative parameters,and functional and oncological outcomes.Descriptive statistics are presented.Results:Nineteen patients were identified;18(94.7%)completed the procedure robotically and one was converted to open surgery;78.9%of patients had stage≥IIB and 12(63.2%)patients had undergone prior chemotherapy.The median operative time was 300(interquartile range[IQR]240-315)min.Median blood loss was 100(IQR 50-175)mL.Median length of stay was 2(range 1-11)days.All robotically completed patients commenced diet and passed flatus on Day 1 and were discharged by Day 3.The median lymph node yield was 40.5(IQR 38-51)nodes.All patients undergoing nerve-sparing procedures recovered antegrade ejaculatory function.One patient had a Clavien-Dindo III complication(chylous ascites requiring drainage).At a median follow-up of 22.3(IQR 16.3-24.9)months,one patient developed retroperitoneal recurrence,which was successfully treated with second-line chemotherapy;no other patients have had recurrences.Conclusion:Robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is a safe and feasible alternative to open surgery in appropriately selected patients,offering low morbidity.Early oncological outcomes are promising.Larger cohorts and longer follow-ups are required to validate our institution's findings.

Unilateral post-chemotherapy robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in Stage II non-seminomatous germ cell tumor:A tertiary care experience

Objective Post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(PC-RPLND)represents an integral component of the management of patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumor(NSGCT).Modified templates have been proposed to minimize the surgical morbidity of the procedure.Moreover,the implementation of robotic surgery in this setting has been explored.We report our experience with unilateral post-chemotherapy robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(PC-rRPLND)for clinical Stages IIA and IIB NSGCTs.Methods A retrospective single institution review was performed including 33 patients undergoing PC-rRPLND for Stages IIA and IIB NSGCTs between January 2015 and February 2019.Following orchiectomy,patients were scheduled for chemotherapy with three cycles of bleomycin-etoposide-cisplatin.Patients with a residual tumor of<5 cm and an ipsilateral metastatic disease on pre-and post-chemotherapy CT scans were eligible for a unilateral template in absence of rising tumor markers.Descriptive statistics were provided for demographics,clinical characteristics,intraoperative and postoperative parameters.Perioperative,oncological,and functional outcomes were recorded.Results Overall,7(21.2%)patients exhibited necrosis or fibrosis;14(42.4%)had mature teratoma;and 12(36.4%)had viable tumor at final histology.The median lymph node size at surgery was 25(interquartile range[IQR]21-36)mm.Median operative time was 180(IQR 165-215)min and no major postoperative complications were observed.Anterograde ejaculation was preserved in 75.8%of patients.Median follow-up was 26(IQR 19-30)months and a total of three recurrences were recorded.Conclusion PC-rRPLND is a reliable and technically reproducible procedure with safe oncological outcomes and acceptable postoperative ejaculatory function in well selected patients with NSGCTs.

Anatomical retroperitoneoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors： initial operative experience

To introduce the technique of anatomical retroperitoneoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection （ARRPLND） was performed in 12 consecutive patients with a clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ-cell tumor （NSGCT） between February 2008 and October 2010. All procedures were performed using a modified template nerve-sparing approach. The retroperitoneal space was adequately expanded using double gasbags. After the retroperitoneal fat was cleared, two relatively bloodless planes were entered consecutively to expose the lymph node and permit dissection. Dissection proceeded first in the plane between the anterior renal fascia and posterior peritoneum, and secondly in the avascular plane between the posterior renal fascia and transversalis fascia. The proximal spermatic vein was clipped at the initial stage. En bloc resection of the lymph tissue and fat between the anterior renal fascia and posterior renal fascia were performed. Three patients （25%） had pathologic stage IIA disease and received adjuvant chemotherapy. No recurrence was observed during follow-up ranging from 26 to 58months. The median operative time was 205min （range： 165-430min） and median estimated blood loss was 320ml （range： 100-1200ml）. There were two intraoperative complications （Clavien grade II） and one open conversion due to perforation of the peritoneum. Postoperative complications （Clavien I） developed in three patients. Normal antegrade ejaculation recovered by 1 month following the operation. Our preliminary results indicate that ARRPLND is technically feasible and associated with satisfactory clinical outcomes for clinical stage I NSGCT. Further studies are necessary to evaluate this technique.

Laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection versus open retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer:A comparison of clinical and perioperative outcomes

Objective:This study was performed to evaluate the clinical and perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(L-RPLND)and open retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(O-RPLND)performed by one surgeon at a single center.Methods:We evaluated 30 patients with stage IIA germ cell tumors who underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(15 underwent L-RPLND and 15 underwent O-RPLND)at our institution between April 1,2010 and March 31,2018.The clinical parameters were compared between patients who underwent L-RPLND using the retroperitoneal approach and those who underwent O-RPLND using the transperitoneal approach.There were no significant differences in the background characteristics of the two groups except for the median follow-up duration(46 months for L-RPLND and 71 months for O-RPLND,p=0.02).Results:L-RPLND was associated with a shorter mean operative time(mean 222 min for L-RPLND vs.453 min for O-RPLND,p<0.001).There was significantly less blood loss during surgery in the L-RPLND group compared to the O-RPLND group(mean 165 mL for L-RPLND vs.403 mL for O-RPLND,p<0.001).Parameters related to postoperative recovery were significantly better for the L-RPLND group than for the O-RPLND group.There were no differences in the histopathological characteristics between the two groups.No patients in either group exhibited disease recurrence.Conclusion:Patients who underwent L-RPLND had more rapid recovery,and shorter hospital stay compared to those who underwent O-RPLND;complications were comparable between the two groups.L-RPLND is an efficient procedure with the benefits of minimally invasive surgery.

Mesenteric metastases from mature teratoma of the testis:A case report

Metastatic spread of testicular cancer has been well documented,with 95% of cases involving para-aortic retroperitoneal lymph nodes.Mesenteric lymphatic basins do not lie within the canonical drainage pathway of the testes and represent a rare site of metastasis.Various mechanisms of spread to the mesentery have been described,including direct extension and haematogenous dissemination.We present a case of a previously-well 43-year-old man who presented with right scrotal discomfort and intermittent lower back pain,who was found to have mesenteric metastases from a non-seminomatous germ cell tumour of the testis.Managing lymphadenopathy that lies outside of standard resection templates remains a complex surgical challenge.Here we present the first case in the English medical literature with co-existing supradiaphragmatic axillary and mediastinal nodal disease.

Treatment of clinical stage I non-seminoma

Germ cell cancers are the most common solid tumors among men between 15 and 40 years.Non-seminomatous germ cell tumors(NSGCTs)represent a unique and exclusive cohort of germ cell tumor patients.Non-seminoma can harbor different histologic components.The most commonly found histologies are embryonal cell cancer,teratoma,yolk sack tumor and choriocarcinoma,as well as teratocarcinoma and seminoma,in combination with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors histologic types.The clinical definition of stage I nonseminoma is the absence of metastatic lesions on imaging and normal tumor markers.The cure rate for clinical stage I NSGCT is 99%and this can be achieved by three therapeutic strategies:Active surveillance with treatment at the time of relapse,retroperitoneal lymph node dissection or adjuvant chemotherapy.The balancing of these various strategies should always be based on an individual risk profile of NGSCG patient depending on the lymphovascular invasion of the tumor.

L.ong-term recovery of normal sexual function in lesticular cancer survivors

Testicular cancer （TC） is the most common solid cancer in men between the third and fourth decade of life. Due to successful treatment approaches, TC survivors （TCSs） have long life expectancy, but with numerous potential long-term sequelae, including sexual dysfunction. We investigated predictors of long-term normal sexual function （SF） recovery in TCSs. Sociodemographic, medical, and psychometric data were analyzed in 143 Caucasian-European TCSs, who underwent orchiectomy at a single institution. Health-significant comorbidities were scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index （CCI）. Patients completed the International Index of Erectile Function （IIEF）. Statistical models tested the association between predictors （including age at surgery, body mass index, CCI, and adjuvant therapy： radiotherapy [RT], chemotherapy [CT], CT followed by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection [RPLND] and RPLND alone） and the long-term recovery of normal SF （defined as IIEF-erectile function [EF] ≥26, and sexual desire [SD], intercourse satisfaction [IS] orgasmic function [OF], and overall satisfaction [OS] domain scores in the upper tertiles）. At a mean follow-up of 86 months, 35 （25.5%） TCSs had erectile dysfunction （ED）, with 16 （11.2%） experiencing severe ED. Median time of EF recovery was 60, 60, and 70 months after CT, RT, and RPLND, respectively. Only adjuvant RT emerged as an independent predictor of nonrecovery of normal EF （HR： 0.55, P = 0.01）. Neither adjuvant CT nor CT plus RPLND or RPLND alone significantly impaired the recovery of normal erections. Adjuvant therapy was not associated with impaired recovery of normal sexuality as a whole, considering the IIEF-SD, -OF, -IS, and OS domains.