IGCCCG Prognostic Group (Metastatic Germ Cell Cancer)
The International Germ Cell Consensus Classification (IGCCCG 1997) for metastatic germ cell cancer.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Histology
- Nonseminoma
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. Primary site; a mediastinal primary is…
- Testis or retroperitoneal
- Nonpulmonary visceral metastases
- No
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. AFP, post-orchiectomy and pre-chemotherapy
- 2000 ng/mL
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. hCG in IU/L
- 100 IU/L
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. LDH as a MULTIPLE of the local upper limit…
- 1 x upper limit of normal
Result: IGCCCG intermediate prognosis, nonseminoma.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Logic
- GOOD requires EVERY criterion (AND). Intermediate and poor need ANY ONE marker (OR).
- Nonseminoma good
- Testis/retroperitoneal, no nonpulmonary visceral mets, AFP <1000, hCG <5000 IU/L, LDH <1.5x normal.
- Nonseminoma intermediate
- Any of AFP 1000-10000, hCG 5000-50000, LDH 1.5 to under 10x normal.
- Nonseminoma poor
- Mediastinal primary, OR nonpulmonary visceral mets, OR AFP >10000, hCG >50000, LDH 10x normal or above.
- Seminoma
- ANY primary site; AFP must be normal; hCG and LDH IGNORED. Good = no nonpulmonary visceral mets; intermediate = present.
- No poor seminoma
- Seminoma has NO poor-prognosis category. The cell does not exist; never fall through to it.
- AFP gate
- A raised AFP means the tumor is NOT a pure seminoma and must be classified as nonseminoma.
- Units
- hCG in IU/L (not IU/mL). LDH as a MULTIPLE of the local upper limit of normal.
- Timing
- Markers must be POST-orchiectomy and PRE-chemotherapy, or the group is mis-assigned.
- Scope
- A prognostic group for metastatic disease. Not a diagnosis and not a regimen choice.
What you enter
- Histology.
- Nonpulmonary visceral metastases.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY.
- SEMINOMA ONLY.
Full field descriptions
- Histology. Gates everything else: seminoma ignores hCG and LDH and has no poor category [nonseminoma = Nonseminoma; seminoma = Seminoma (pure, with a normal AFP)]
- Nonpulmonary visceral metastases. PULMONARY metastases do NOT count for this criterion. In nonseminoma this alone is poor prognosis; in seminoma it alone makes the group intermediate.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. Primary site; a mediastinal primary is poor prognosis on its own. Seminoma permits ANY primary site, so this is not used for seminoma.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. AFP, post-orchiectomy and pre-chemotherapy. Below 1000 good; 1000 to 10000 intermediate; above 10000 poor.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. hCG in IU/L, NOT IU/mL, post-orchiectomy and pre-chemotherapy. Below 5000 good; 5000 to 50000 intermediate; above 50000 poor.
- NONSEMINOMA ONLY. LDH as a MULTIPLE of the local upper limit of normal, not an absolute value. Below 1.5 good; 1.5 to under 10 intermediate; 10 or above poor.
- SEMINOMA ONLY. Whether the AFP is normal. This is a GATE, not a graded marker: a raised AFP means the tumor must be classified as a nonseminoma.
How this is calculated
International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group. International Germ Cell Consensus Classification: a prognostic factor-based staging system for metastatic germ cell cancers. J Clin Oncol. 1997;15(2):594-603. Updated outcomes: Gillessen S, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2021;39(14):1563-1574. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.