Testicular hilum and vascular invasion predict advanced clinical stage in nonseminomatous germ cell tumors

Clinical staging is a critical step in the management of testicular germ cell tumors. Up to one-third of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis present with metastatic disease (clinical stages II and III). We investigated the predictors of metastatic disease at presentation in a cohort of 148 consecutive nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis, over a 10-year period. The following clinical and pathologic features were evaluated: age, tumor size, dominant tumor histology, coagulative necrosis, vascular invasion, rete testis invasion and tumor extension into tunica vaginalis, hilar soft tissue, epididymis, or spermatic cord. Studied parameters were correlated with the clinical stage at presentation. Of the 148 patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis, 94 (63%) were clinical stage I, 26 (18%) were stage II, and 28 (19%) were stage III at presentation. Mean patient age was 31 years (range, 17-83). Mean tumor size was 4.1cm (range, 0.6-19). On univariate analysis, the following parameters showed statistically significant association with the advanced clinical stage at presentation: vascular invasion (P<0.001), rete testis invasion (P<0.001), hilar soft tissue invasion (P<0.001), epididymis invasion (P=0.005), spermatic cord invasion (P=0.005), and coagulative necrosis (P=0.062). On multivariate analysis, only vascular invasion (P=0.011) and invasion into the rete testis and the hilar soft tissues (P=0.007 and P=0.017, respectively) demonstrated significant association with advanced clinical stage at presentation. We conclude that in addition to vascular invasion, tumor invasion into the hilum (rete testis or hilar soft tissue) is also strongly associated with metastatic disease at presentation and should be part of the routine pathology reporting. Modern Pathology (2013) 26, 579-586; doi:10.1038/modpathol.2012.189; published online 14 December 2012