What does this research mean for the field?

Overall survival rates for germ-cell tumors in British Columbia are high, with 5-year survival rates of 97.2% for seminoma and 95.8% for non-seminoma, reflecting effective treatment patterns over two decades. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONFIRMATORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to describe treatment patterns and outcomes for germ-cell tumors in British Columbia.

March 4, 2026

Contemporary patterns of treatment and outcomes in germ-cell tumors across a provincial cancer system: British Columbia Germ Cell Tumor Clinical Database.

Puntos clave

The aim is to describe treatment patterns and outcomes for germ-cell tumors in British Columbia.
Data collected from oncology registries and pharmacy databases for adult type II GCT diagnosed from 2002–2022.
Outcomes include overall survival from diagnosis and first-line therapy, along with treatment patterns across different eras.
Survival follow-up was conducted until July 31, 2025, with systemic therapy tracked through December 31, 2023.
Among 2,366 patients, 65% had seminoma and 35% had non-seminoma, with a median age of 38 years.
Curative-intent systemic therapy was administered to 29% of patients, predominantly with BEP regimen.
Overall survival rates were high: 98.0% (seminoma) and 96.5% (non-seminoma) from diagnosis.

Resumen

603 Background: British Columbia (BC) provides centralized, province-wide management for germ-cell tumors (GCT) across a large, dispersed population of >5 million. Longstanding electronic record and recent data integration enabled a comprehensive, population-based GCT database. We describe real-world treatment patterns and outcomes and its potential as a North American platform for collaborative studies. Methods: Adult type II GCT diagnosed in BC, 2002–2022, were identified from linked oncology registries and pharmacy databases. Survival follow-up was censored July 31, 2025; systemic therapy through Dec 31, 2023. Primary outcome: overall survival (OS) from diagnosis by histology. Secondary: OS from first-line (1L), time to next therapy (TTNT) from 1L, and chemotherapy-free survival (CFS) from orchiectomy. Treatment patterns (1L regimen, salvage, radiotherapy RT, surgery) were summarized by histology and era (2002–08, 2009–15, 2016–22). Results: Among 2,366 patients (seminoma 65%, non-seminoma 35%), median age was 38 IQR 31–46 and 30 24–36 years. Curative-intent systemic therapy was given to 682 patients (29%). BEP led 1L regimen in all eras (non-seminoma 56.4%→85.0%→78.9%; seminoma 25.7%→68.4%→76.1%), while VIP rose after 2016 mainly in non-seminoma (9.0%→16.4%) and remained rare in seminoma (≤2.5%). Salvage chemotherapy occurred in 5.1% overall, chiefly TIP. RT decreased and was largely confined to seminoma (11.9% vs 2.5%; predominantly adjuvant); in non-seminoma it was largely palliative. Surgical management in non-seminoma was marked by RPLND (20.9%) and lung resections (4.7%). OS from diagnosis (3y/5y): seminoma 98.0/97.2%; non-seminoma 96.5/95.8%. OS from 1L: 95.4/94.7% (seminoma) vs 94.2/93.6% (non-seminoma). TTNT (1y/3y): 88.1/86.2% vs 87.1/84.4%. By era, 5y OS from diagnosis improved 96.2%→97.4%; 5y OS from 1L 90.5%→95.7%; 3y TTNT 83.1%→84.2%. CFS (1y/3y) after orchiectomy: 79.6/73.3% (seminoma) vs 59.2/55.2% (non-seminoma). Conclusions: Across two decades, outcomes for GCT in BC remain outstanding within a publicly funded, multidisciplinary hub-and-spoke system. Practice patterns reflect centralized, expert-guided care with low adjuvant use, BEP-dominant 1L regimens, and appropriate surgical consolidation in non-seminoma. The population-based BCGCT database with validated longitudinal data enables secondary analyses, data sharing, and linkage with emerging biobanks and datasets.

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