Impact of Testicular Germ Cell Tumor Laterality on Recurrence-Free Survival in the Mexican Population

Background: To date, the prognostic value of laterality for testicular germ cell tumors remains unknown. Herein, we describe this prognostic factor in the Mexican population. Methods: A retrospective single-center study that included 37 patients with primary testicular germ cell tumors was conducted. Primary outcome was recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 2 years. Secondary outcomes were RFS by histology, progression-free survival by laterality, and 2-year overall survival. Results: Thirty-seven patients were included, of which five showed relapses. By laterality, the 2-year RFS rate was 100% for left tumors and 77.3% for right tumors, with a trend toward statistical significance (P = 0.058). By histology, the RFS rate was higher for seminomas than non-seminomas (89% vs. 83%, respectively) without this difference being statistically significant. Progression-free survival was higher for right tumors than left tumors (91% vs. 80%, respectively) but without reaching statistical significance. The overall survival rate for the entire cohort was 94.5%. Conclusions: Our study shows that patients with primary germ cell tumors of the right testicle have a higher risk of recurrence than those with primary germ cell tumors of the left testicle, with a trend toward statistical significance. World J Oncol. 2021;12(5):173-177 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/wjon1404