Penile, Testis, and Urethral Ca: Robotic RPLND found safe

Research on the use of a CO2 laser for penile carcinoma in situ and FDG positron positron emission tomography-computed tomography in identifying inguinal nodal metastasis (with clinically node negative groins) during monitoring after primary treatment for penile squamous cell carcinoma were among key abstracts in the area of penile, testis, and urethral cancer.

Philippe E. Spiess, MD, MSResearch on the use of a CO2 laser for penile carcinoma in situ and FDG positron positron emission tomography-computed tomography in identifying inguinal nodal metastasis (with clinically node negative groins) during monitoring after primary treatment for penile squamous cell carcinoma were among key abstracts in the area of penile, testis, and urethral cancer. The take-home messages were presented by Philippe E. Spiess, MD, MS, of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL.

Robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer is safe and may provide improved morbidity and less convalescence.

Of 39 men treated with CO2 laser for penile carcinoma in situ as a primary treatment, 14 (35%) developed invasive recurrences during median 32-month follow-up.

FDG positron emission tomography-computed tomography shows sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 96% in identifying inguinal nodal metastasis (with clinically node negative groins) during monitoring after primary treatment for penile squamous cell carcinoma.

About half (48%) of penile squamous cell carcinoma cases had positive expression of programmed death ligand-1.

An assessment of the 7th edition of the TNM pathologic staging system for penile carcinoma found a significant statistical difference in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival when tumors currently classified as pT2/pT3 tumors are stratified into four groups. OS was significantly associated with tumor grade and pathologic group.

Continue to the next page for more take-home messages.

In clinical stage 1 chemotherapy-naive patients, those with no teratoma in the testis had it present in the retroperitoneum 4.8% of the time; the rate was 20% in those with only teratoma in the testis.

For unilateral testicular tumors, tumor size <2 cm was associated with greater likelihood of appropriateness for testis-sparing surgery.

No chemotherapy-induced kidney dysfunction was observed in treatment for refractory or relapsed germ cell tumors in patients with impaired renal function treated with paclitaxel, ifosfamide (Ifex), and nedaplatin.

Through target sequencing, 51 potentially actionable alterations were identified in patients with platinum-resistant advanced germ cell tumors. Another study discussed genetic basis for platinum resistance.

Immune profiling of testicular germ cell tumors shows high expression of PD-L1 and PD-2.

A majority of 13 patients with secondary urethral malignancies after prostate brachytherapy (without external beam) had advanced disease at diagnosis, and nine (69%) died during the study period, living a median of 3 months from diagnosis.