Impact of hemiscrotectomy on outcome of patients with embryonal paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma: results from the Cooperative Soft Tissue Sarcoma Group Studies CWS-86, 91, 96 and 2002P

Abstract

Purpose: Children with paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma have a favorable prognosis. Surgical treatment problems include inadequate primary transscrotal approaches, incomplete tumor resections and the need for secondary hemiscrotectomy. We evaluated the need for hemiscrotectomy regarding local relapse and outcome.

Materials and methods: A total of 173 patients with a diagnosis of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma were enrolled in the Cooperative Soft Tissue Sarcoma Studies between 1986 and 2008. Of the patients 17 were excluded due to an incomplete data set and alveolar histology. Thus, a total of 156 patients with embryonal subtype were analyzed. All patients were treated according to study protocols, which included multiagent chemotherapy, tumor resection and/or radiotherapy.

Results: Mean ± SD 5-year overall survival rate was 91.5% ± 2.4% for patients with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. A total of 28 patients underwent transscrotal approaches initially. Of these patients 12 were treated with hemiscrotectomy (mean ± SD 5-year event-free survival 91.7% ± 8%) and 16 without hemiscrotectomy (93.8% ± 6.1%). Additionally 13 of 156 patients underwent an inguinal approach with hemiscrotectomy due to suspicious tumor infiltration of the scrotal skin (mean ± SD 5-year event-free survival 84.6% ± 10%). Relapse was observed in 3 of 12 patients after transscrotal approach with hemiscrotectomy (locoregional lymph node in 1 and metastasis in 2). One metastatic relapse was observed in the group undergoing a transscrotal approach without hemiscrotectomy. One of 13 patients treated with an inguinal approach and hemiscrotectomy had locoregional relapse and died of disease.

Conclusions: Hemiscrotectomy seems not to be mandatory in patients after transscrotal approaches regarding outcome and local relapse. Nevertheless, hemiscrotectomy probably should be performed if the scrotal skin is infiltrated.

Keywords: rhabdomyosarcoma; scrotum; testicular neoplasms; urogenital surgical procedures.