Abstract
BACKGROUND
Highβdose chemotherapy (HDCT) followed by hematopoietic stem cell support (HSCS) potentially may be curative in patients with germ cell tumor (GCT) who develop recurrent tumors or who have an inadequate response after receiving standardβdose chemotherapy. The authors report their experience with HDCT as salvage therapy for patients with GCT.
METHODS
Between 1986 and 2000, 84 patients with GCT, with a median age 29 years (range, 15β50 years), were treated with 105 courses of HDCT with HSCS. Patients were stratified into good, intermediate, and poor risk categories according to a validated prognostic index.
RESULTS
Overall, 28 patients (33%) have been continuously disease free. In the good risk group, 24 patients (69%) have been continuously disease free compared with 4 patients (13%) in the intermediate risk group (P < 0.001) and 0 patients in the poor risk group (P < 0.001). Treatmentβrelated mortality occurred only among patients in the poor risk (n = 6 patients) and the intermediate risk groups (n = 4 patients).
CONCLUSIONS
In the authors' experience, HDCT induced impressive longβterm remissions as salvage treatment among patients in the good risk group. Moreover, the use of validated prognostic classifications may contribute to a better definition of the role of HDCT other than improving the outcome of patients with GCT. The definitive statement on the possible role of HDCT in patients with GCT will derive from the ongoing Phase III randomized studies. Cancer 2002;95:309β15. Β© 2002 American Cancer Society.
DOI 10.1002/cncr.10672