Testicular seminoma: A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 105 cases with special reference to seminomas with atypical features Journal Article


Authors: Tickoo, S. K.; Hutchinson, B.; Bacik, J.; Mazumdar, M.; Motzer, R. J.; Bajorin, D. F.; Bosl, G. J.; Reuter, V. E.
Article Title: Testicular seminoma: A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 105 cases with special reference to seminomas with atypical features
Abstract: In spite of the high curability rates, rare cases of testicular seminoma behave in an unexpectedly aggressive manner. No effective markers are currently available that can predict such uncommon behavior. We studied 105 cases of testicular seminoma on whom the primary resection was performed at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, to investigate any relationship between morphology, immunohistochemical features, and clinical/pathological stages. Fifty-nine percent of the cases presented with pT stage 1 and 74 percent with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I. In univariate analysis, tumor size, mitotic count, and presence of necrosis showed significant associations with pT stage (p = 0.0001, 0.0001, and 0.04, respectively), and the presence of vascular invasion (p = 0.0001, 0.0001, and 0.02, respectively). In multivariate analysis, both the tumor size and mitotic counts were independent predictors of pT stage (p = 0.0004 and 0.0001) and vascular invasion (p = 0.0004 and 0.0001). When tumors were separated on the basis of architectural and/or cytological atypia into 'usual seminomas' and 'seminomas with atypia,' these were significantly associated with AJCC stage (p = 0.02), and c-kit protein (p = 0.0005) and CD30 expression (p = 0.02). In addition, 'seminomas with atypia' also tended to show a higher proliferation activity as judged by Ki67 reactivity (p = 0.06), as well as express the marker of epithelial differentiation, Cam 5.2 (p = 0.09). In summary, we find that the morphologic features in testicular seminomas are associated with factors of clinical relevance. Also, 'seminomas with atypia' differ from 'usual seminomas' morphologically, present at a higher AJCC stage, and possibly represent an early step in transformation of seminomas toward a more aggressive phenotype. While not proposing a new entity, we suggest that when these atypical features are encountered in an otherwise classical seminoma, investigations must be performed to exclude an early carcinomatous differentiation or even earlier changes toward such a differentiation, such as lack of c-kit protein expression.
Keywords: immunohistochemistry; adult; human tissue; aged; middle aged; major clinical study; clinical feature; histopathology; cancer staging; neoplasm staging; ki 67 antigen; cell proliferation; mitosis; ki-67 antigen; biological marker; biological markers; phenotype; metabolism; stem cell factor; stem cell factor receptor; proto-oncogene proteins c-kit; gene expression; tumor volume; tumor markers, biological; pathology; tumor marker; cancer invasion; early cancer; ki-67; testis tumor; testicular neoplasms; neoplasm invasiveness; keratins; malignant transformation; seminoma; cd30 antigen; keratin; tumor necrosis; testicular seminoma; c-kit protein; antigens, cd30; immunohistochemical staining; cd30; humans; prognosis; human; male; priority journal; article; cam 5.2; seminoma with atypia; cam 5.2 antigen
Journal Title: International Journal of Surgical Pathology
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
ISSN: 1066-8969
Publisher: Sage Publications  
Date Published: 2002-01-01
Start Page: 23
End Page: 32
Language: English
PUBMED: 11927966
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI: 10.1177/106689690201000105
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 14 November 2014 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Dean Bajorin
    657 Bajorin
  2. Robert Motzer
    1243 Motzer
  3. Madhu Mazumdar
    127 Mazumdar
  4. Satish K Tickoo
    479 Tickoo
  5. Victor Reuter
    1224 Reuter
  6. George Bosl
    430 Bosl
  7. Jennifer M Bacik
    46 Bacik