Department of Oncology/Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplantation/Pneumology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Chemotherapy including gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and/or paclitaxel has shown efficacy in germ cell tumor patients after progression during cisplatin-based chemotherapy or relapse after high-dose chemotherapy including complete responses in 5-15%.
Most studies have been published with a short follow-up. We present the long-term outcome of two previously reported trials.
Two phase 2 trials have evaluated chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin alone (GO) or plus paclitaxel (GOP) including a total of 76 patients (35 GO and 41 GOP) [1,2]. At first publication, 29 patients were still alive and 9 patients (12%) were free of disease after chemotherapy with or without surgery: GO, 3 of 35 (9%) and GOP, 6 of 41 (15%).
Survival and follow-up time were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method from the beginning of study treatment until the date of death or the date of the last follow-up.
After a median follow-up of 19 mo (2-86 mo) for the 29 patients still alive, 11% of all patients (8 of 76) were free of disease for >2 yr: 1 of 35 patients (3%) after GO and 7 of 41 patients (17%) after GOP. Three patients with complete remission (CR), two after GO and one after GOP, relapsed. Two others treated with GOP were rendered disease free: One patient with partial remission and short follow-up underwent secondary surgery, and another patient, who had relapsed 2 mo after GOP, achieved a CR after salvage treatment. Overall survival time is ≥33 mo (range: ≥28-59 mo) in these eight patients.
Long-term survival can be achieved in about 10-15% of patients with cisplatin-refractory or multiply relapsed germ cell tumor with GO(P) chemotherapy. Aggressive secondary surgery following partial remission is a crucial part of this salvage treatment.
Written by:
Oechsle K, Kollmannsberger C, Honecker F, Mayer F, Waller CF, Hartmann JT, Boehlke I, Bokemeyer C. Are you the author?
Reference: Eur Urol. 2011 Jun 23. Epub ahead of print.
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21704446
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