Supraclavicular node biopsy in staging testis tumors.

Supraclavicular node biopsy has been advocated previously as a routine staging procedure for patients with testicular tumors. Of 73 patients with testis tumors the scalene node biopsy revealed metastasis in only 3 of 61 patients with non-seminomatous tumors and in 1 of 12 patients with seminoma. Furthermore, all 4 patients were known to have other metastases; in 3 of the 4 patients a palpable supraclavicular mass was noted as well. The low yield of this procedure, in conjunction with a complication rate of 8%, mitigates against the routine use of supraclavicular node biopsy in patients without a palpable supraclavicular mass.

PMID: 7351720 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]