Routine scrotal ultrasonography during the follow‐up of patients with testicular cancer leads to earlier detection of asynchronous tumours and a high rate of organ preservation

Study Type – Diagnosis (case series)
Level of Evidence 4

OBJECTIVE

To compare outcomes of patients with asynchronous tumours detected before and after the introduction of scrotal ultrasonography (SUS) during routine follow‐up examinations.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Since January 2001 SUS was also used during the follow‐up of patients with testicular cancer. A series of 16 consecutive patients with asynchronous bilateral testicular tumours diagnosed while still complying with routine follow up investigations were identified and divided into two groups; group A was diagnosed by palpation only, before 2001, and group B was diagnosed after 2000. The groups were compared statistically for the interval between asynchronous tumours, clinical stage, tumour diameter at the time of diagnosis and rate of testis‐sparing surgery.

RESULTS

All tumours in group A were diagnosed by palpation, but only two in group B were palpable at the time of diagnosis. The mean tumour diameter was statistically significantly smaller in group B (1.2 cm) than in group A (2.68 cm); testis‐sparing surgery was used in all of group B and only three patients in group A. After organ‐sparing surgery all patients had normal testosterone levels. All patients after organ‐sparing surgery had adjuvant scrotal radiotherapy because of germ cell tumour, and no patient had a local recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Our data indicate that using SUS for the remaining testicle in routine follow‐up visits of patients with testicular cancer leads to the earlier detection of smaller tumours and, consequently, a higher rate of organ preservation. The maintenance of physiological endocrine function might finally result in a better quality of life.