Appointment sheet
Germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS)
Prepared with OnCo (onco.cc/prep/germ-cell-neoplasia-in-situ/). Orientation, not medical advice; your team knows your case.
My details
Name
Date of appointment
Hospital and clinician
Who is coming with me
What I know, what is unclear, changes to discuss
Saved in this browserWhat I know so far
What is unclear to me
Changes since last time
My questions
7 on the sheetNewly diagnosed
- 1.What is my exact diagnosis, stage, and grade, and which tests established them?
- 2.Which biomarkers have been tested on my tumour (for example OCT4, PLAP and KIT positive cells along the tubular basement membrane, Serum microRNA-371a-3p, Absent spermatogenesis in affected tubules, Isochromosome 12p in the invasive tumour that follows), and what were the results?
- 3.Which subtype is my cancer, and does that change the recommended treatment?
- 4.Is germline (inherited) genetic testing recommended for me or my family?
Isolated GCNIS in the remaining testis
- 5.For my situation (isolated gcnis in the remaining testis), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
Any stage
- 6.Would a second opinion at a high-volume centre change anything, and can you help arrange it?
- 7.What supportive care (symptom control, nutrition, exercise, mental health, financial help) is available from the start?
The words I may hear
- Carcinoma in situ (CIS): Cancer cells that fill the lining layer where they started but have not broken through the basement membrane into the tissue beneath.
- Tumour markers (CEA, LDH, chromogranin, thyroglobulin): Substances released into the blood by some cancers that can be measured with a simple test, useful for tracking whether treatment is working or the cancer is coming back, but rarely good enough to diagnose or screen.
Tests and results to bring
Biomarker results to ask for: OCT4, PLAP and KIT positive cells along the tubular basement membrane, Serum microRNA-371a-3p (research), Absent spermatogenesis in affected tubules, Isochromosome 12p in the invasive tumour that follows.
Bring copies of scan reports, pathology and blood results, and a list of every medicine and supplement.
The treatments I may be offered
- Isolated GCNIS in the remaining testis: Low-dose testicular radiotherapy, orchidectomy, or surveillance in men wanting children; the invasive tumour that follows is treated as seminoma or non-seminoma. (Testicular germ cell tumours, Seminoma, Non-seminomatous germ cell tumour)
From the standard of care recorded for this cancer; which apply depends on your stage and biomarkers. Ask which the team recommends and why.
Answers and next steps
Saved in this browserWhat I was told
Agreed next steps, dates and who to call