A meta-analysis of clinicopathologic features that predict necrosis or fibrosis at post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in individuals receiving treatment for non-seminoma germ cell tumours.

Post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (pcRPLND) for residual nodal masses is a critical component of care in metastatic testicular germ cell tumour (GCT). However, the procedure is not of therapeutic value in up to 50% of individuals in whom histopathology demonstrates post-treatment necrosis or fibrosis alone. Improved diagnostic tools and clinicopathologic features are needed to separate individuals who benefit from pcRPLND and avoid surgery in those who do not. A prospectively registered meta-analysis of studies reporting clinicopathologic features associated with teratoma, GCT and/or necrosis/fibrosis at pcRPLND for metastatic non-seminoma GCT (NSGCT) was undertaken. We examined the effect of various clinicopathologic factors on the finding of necrosis/fibrosis at pcRPLND. The log odds ratios (ORs) of each association were pooled using random-effects models. Using the initial search strategy, 4,178 potentially eligible abstracts were identified. We included studies providing OR relating to clinicopathologic factors predicting pcRPLND histopathology, or where individual patient-level data were available to permit the calculation of OR. A total of 31 studies evaluating pcRPLND histopathology in 3,390 patients were eligible for inclusion, including two identified through hand-searching the reference lists of eligible studies. The following were associated with the presence of necrosis/fibrosis at pcRPLND: absence of teratomatous elements in orchidectomy (OR 3.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.94-4.17); presence of seminomatous elements at orchidectomy (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.37-5.37); normal pre-chemotherapy serum bHCG (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.62-2.36); normal AFP (OR 3.22, 95% CI 2.49-4.15); elevated LDH (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.37-2.17); >50% change in mass during chemotherapy (OR 4.84, 95% CI 3.94-5.94); and smaller residual mass size (<2 cm In this meta-analysis, clinicopathologic features helped predict the presence of pcRPLND necrosis/fibrosis. Collaboration between centres that provide individual patient-level data is required to develop and validate clinical models and inform routine care to direct pcRPLND to individuals most likely to derive benefits. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42021279699.

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Copyright © 2022 Conduit, Hong, Martin, Thomas, Lawrentschuk, Goad, Grimison, Ahmadi, Tran and Lewin.

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BTr reports grants and personal fees from Amgen, grants and personal fees from Astra Zeneca, grants from Astellas, grants and personal fees from BMS, grants and personal fees from Janssen, grants and personal fees from Pfizer, grants and personal fees from MSD, grants and personal fees from Ipsen, personal fees from IQVIA, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Tolmar, personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Bayer and personal fees from Roche, outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.