Table 2:

Differences in staging, systemic therapy setting, largest tumour dimension and pre-orchiectomy markers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

VariableNo. (%)*p value
Before pandemic†
n = 231		During pandemic
n = 104
Cancer stage0.002
 I166 (71.9)81 (77.9)
 II47 (20.3)7 (6.7)
 III18 (7.8)16 (15.4)
IGCCC risk category‡0.07**
 Good52 (80.0)13 (56.5)
 Intermediate6 (9.2)5 (21.7)
 Poor7 (10.7)5 (21.7)
Systemic therapy setting§0.1**
 Outpatient44 (78.5)13 (61.9)
 Inpatient or ICU12 (21.4)8 (38.1)
Largest tumour dimension, cm0.06††
 Mean ± SD4.5 ± 3.65.1 ± 4.1
 Median (IQR)3.6 (2.4–5.5)4.2 (3.1–6)
 No. missing records1 (0.4)0 (0)
Pre-orchiectomy LDH, U/L0.1††
 Mean ± SD288 ± 358278 ± 476
 Median (25th–75th percentiles)198 (170–279)192 (167–237)
 No. missing records49 (21.2)20 (19.2)
Pre-orchiectomy β-HCG, IU/L0.4††
 Median (25th–75th percentiles)5 (1.0–13.8)5 (0.5–20.0)
 No. missing records17 (7.4)9 (8.7)
Pre-orchiectomy AFP, ng/mL0.1††
 Median (25th–75th percentiles)3.6 (2.0–6.4)3 (2.0–6.0)
 No. missing records18 (7.8)7 (6.7)

  • Note: AFP = α fetoprotein, HCG = human chorionic gonadotropin, ICU = intensive care unit, IGCCC = International Germ Cell Consensus Classification, IQR = interquartile range, LDH = lactate dehydrogenase, SD = standard deviation, TGCT = testicular germ cell tumour.

  • ↵* Unless otherwise indicated.

  • ↵† Includes a 6-month lag period for seminomas and a 3-month lag period for nonseminomas.

  • ↵‡ IGCCC risk category was applicable only to stage II and stage III patients before (n = 65) and during (n = 23) the pandemic.

  • ↵§ Systemic therapy setting was applicable only to patients who received systemic treatment before (n = 56) and during (n = 21) the pandemic.

  • ↵ χ2 test.

  • ↵** Fisher exact test.

  • ↵†† Wilcoxon rank sum test.