A scoping review on the burned out or burnt out testicular cancer: When a rare phenomenon deserves more attention

The burned out or burnt out testicular cancer (BTC) indicates the spontaneous and complete regression of a testicular germ cell tumor in the presence of distant metastases at the diagnosis. As this condition was never reviewed systematically, a scoping review was conducted to scrutinize the available literature on clinical and histological features of BTC patients. Medline was searched from inception to 19 April 2020. A virtual cohort of 68 BTC patients was generated. Our findings highlighted some inconsistencies: BTC was diagnosed in 5,9% of patients not showing distant metastases and in 2,9% of patients who did not undergo an orchiectomy. Besides, evidence of residual tumor was found in 22,7% of testis specimens, recognized as seminoma in 40% of cases. The emerged inconsistencies may derive from the lack of an unequivocal definition of BTC. Larger collaborative studies are needed to define the best diagnostic workup and treatment for BTC patients.

Automated summary

Burned out or burnt out testicular cancer (BTC) refers to the spontaneous and complete regression of testicular germ cell tumor in the presence of distant metastases at diagnosis. The study found inconsistencies in the diagnosis and treatment of BTC, highlighting the need for larger collaborative studies to define the best approach for these patients.