Select Patients with Seminoma Metastatic to the Retroperitoneum May Safely Avoid Chemotherapy and Radiation with Primary RPLND

Select Patients with Seminoma Metastatic to the Retroperitoneum May Safely Avoid Chemotherapy and Radiation with Primary RPLND

The following is from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). To read the interview with Dr. Matulewicz, click here. Our thanks to MSKCC for their continued research into the treatment and care of testicular cancer.

Image courtesy of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

“Since 2013, MSK has offered primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) to select patients with low-volume incident or relapsed seminoma metastatic only to the retroperitoneum, in lieu of the traditional standards of care which were previously chemotherapy or radiation. MSK surgeon-scientists recently published results from a series of patients who received open bilateral primary RPLND over a 10-year period.

‘Our experience shows that primary RPLND provides patients with a safe and highly effective alternative to chemotherapy or radiation for low-volume pure seminoma that has metastasized to the retroperitoneum,’ said urologic surgeon Richard Matulewicz, MD, MSCI, MS, lead author of a paper published in the Journal of Urology. (1) ‘Our real-world findings corroborate recent phase 2 study results in favor of this approach and the inclusion of primary RPLND as a management option in updated treatment guidelines from the American Urological Association and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.’

In this Q&A with Dr. Matulewicz, [they] discuss MSK’s experience with RPLND for select patients with low-volume seminoma metastatic to the retroperitoneum. [They] also discuss MSK’s pioneering work developing the MSK microRNA assay for men with germ cell tumors.

Dr. Matulewicz is part of a team that was ranked #1 in the nation for Urology Cancer Care this year by U.S. News & World Report.”

“(1) Matulewicz RS, Benfante N, Funt SA, et al. Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Seminoma Metastatic to the Retroperitoneum. J Urol. 2024;211(1):80-89.”