Seminoma of the testicle: Prophylactic mediastinal irradiation versus periaortic and pelvic irradiation alone

An analysis of 80 patients with seminoma of the testis treated at Brooke General Hospital, from July 1947 to March 1971, is presented. Forty-nine patients with Stage I disease were treated prophylactically to the mediastinum and left supraclavicular area in addition to receiving periaortic and pelvic irradiation. Twenty-two patients with Stage I disease received only periaortic and pelvic irradiation. No recurrences have been observed in Stage I patients with either method of treatment. The crude survival rates for the entire group of 80 patients at 5, 10, and 15 years were 97, 93, and 92%, respectively.