Diagnostic and prognostic value of liquid biopsy in TGCT

Testicular germ cell tumors are the most common malignancy in young men. The cure rate lies about 90% due to their radio.- and chemosensitivity. However, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause acute toxicities but also long-term toxicities like cardiovascular complications or secondary cancers. The focus of recent research lies therefore on the reduction of the amount and duration of curative treatment without reducing the cure rate. Tumor DNA that circulates in the blood stream could be helpful to identify patients who are candidates for treatment reduction or intensification. This has already been tested in patients with colon cancer or urinary bladder cancer. For testicular cancer such investigations are missing. The aim of the current study is to detect circulating tumor DNA in patients with metastatic testicular cancer to see if this has influence on prognosis of patients. If this is successful in patients with metastatic testicular cancer we will also try to detect circulating tumor DNA in patients without metastatic disease to see if this can predict the risk of relapse. This could help to identify patients who benefit from preventive chemotherapy and to identify patients who can be spared from toxic treatment.

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