Prognostic factors in advanced nonseminomatous testicular cancer. A multivariate logistic regression analysis

In order to define prognostic factors for advanced stage of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) of the testis, the authors reviewed 84 patients treated from 1978 through 1985. The survival rate was 51% at 3 years. Patients with elevated seric levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and/or alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), or the presence of an abdominal mass had significantly worse survival. Only HCG and AFP levels retained their significance when multivariate Cox analysis was performed. The probability that a patient achieves a complete remission (CR) was assessed by a function of certain patient characteristics using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. The significant variables were a function of HCG and AFP values. Since both variables are related to the CR rate and survival the authors define the obtention of a CR as a unique outcome of interest. The probability of a CR greater than 70% adequately separates the patients into two prognostic subgroups. This model currently is being used to enrole NSGCT patients in a prospective modulated clinical trial according to these prognostic factors.

Long-term survivors after salvage high dose chemotherapy with bone marrow rescue in refractory germ cell cancer

Between April 1984 and May 1985, 17 heavily pretreated patients with relapsing or refractory germ cell tumours were treated with cisplatin 40 mg/m2/day, days 1-5; etoposide 350 mg/m2/day, days 1-5; cyclophosphamide 1600 mg/m2/day, days 2-5 and autologous bone marrow transplantation on day 8 as consolidation of conventional salvage chemotherapy. None of the 11 refractory patients and 4 of the 6 responders to prior salvage treatment are long-term survivors at 68, 72, 74 and 74 months. Mean aplasia duration was 17 days and there were 7 documented episodes of septicaemia in 17 febrile patients. 1 patient died of treatment. Among the 4 survivors, 2 patients have a sustained grade II invalidating neuropathy. We conclude that this regimen is not recommended as salvage therapy in refractory patients but may be a useful consolidation treatment in patients responding to conventional salvage chemotherapy.

Phase II study of oxaliplatin versus oxaliplatin combined with infusional 5-fluorouracil in hormone refractory metastatic prostate cancer patients

BACKGROUND

A randomized, multicenter phase II study evaluating oxaliplatin alone (OXA) and oxaliplatin-5-fluorouracil combination (OXFU) in advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Metastatic, pathologically proven prostate carcinoma patients, progressing despite anti-androgen therapy, received intravenous OXA (130 mg/m(2 )over 2 h), alone or with 5-FU (1000 mg/m(2)/day, continuous intravenous infusion, days 1-4), every 3 weeks. OXA patients could receive OXFU after treatment failure.

RESULTS

Fifty-four patients (26 OXA, 28 OXFU) from nine centers received 269 treatment cycles (106 OXA, 163 OXFU; median 3.5 OXA or 5 OXFU cycles per patient; range 1-10 or 1-14, respectively). Patient characteristics were similar in both arms. Three partial responses (PR) occurred in 21 evaluable OXA patients [14%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1% to 30%], and in five of 26 evaluable OXFU patients (19%; 95% CI 7% to 39%). Clinical benefit response (pain, performance status and weight changes) was assessed in 20 OXA and 22 OXFU symptomatic patients, with more responders in the OXFU arm (39% compared with 12%). Median time to progression in the OXA and OXFU arms was 2.6 and 3.4 months, and median overall survival was 9.4 and 11.4 months, respectively. Hematotoxicity was common, but mostly mild to moderate. Neutropenia was more common in OXFU than OXA patients. After oxaliplatin failure, 12 patients received 46 cycles of OXFU and one of 11 evaluable patients had a PR.

CONCLUSION

The objective response rate, palliation benefit, survival and manageable toxicity obtained in this heavily pretreated HRPC population with OXFU merit further study.

Prediction of long-term response after high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation in the salvage treatment of non-seminomatous germ cell tumours

High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous bone-marrow transplantation (ABMT) are widely used in the salvage treatment of non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (NSGCT). We compiled 10 published series with NSGCT patients treated by HDCT and ABMT. Several prognostic factors for long-term non-evolutive disease (NED) were studied: dose of etoposide (ETO), oxazaphosphorine derivative (OXA) (expressed in cyclophosphamide equivalents using a cyclophosphamide/ifosfamide ratio of 1:3), platin-derivate (PLAT) (expressed in cisplatin equivalents using a cisplatin/carboplatin ratio of 1:4), disease status (refractory or responder), OXA and PLAT compounds. Strong interactions were shown between disease status and PLAT and ETO. In refractory patients, logistic regression analysis showed that the doses of OXA and PLAT increase the probability of NED. Conversely, in responder patients only ETO and OXA dosages increase the probability of NED. It is concluded that the status of the disease is the most important prognostic factor for long-term NED after HDCT + ABMT in NSGCT.

High-dose chemotherapy in germ-cell tumors

The majority of patients with advanced-stage germ-cell tumor are curable by cisplatin-based chemotherapy, but about 10% of those in the good-risk and 30%-50% in the poor-risk groups will experience relapse. Patients in first relapse have a 60% chance of entering a second complete remission and a 15%-25% probability that it will be durable. Regimens of high-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem-cell support have been developed specifically for this patient population; they are usually based on combinations of etoposide, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and, originally, double-dose cisplatin or, nowadays, high-dose carboplatin. The role of high-dose chemotherapy was studied initially in salvage and later in first-line treatment. Four hundred thirty-six patients who received high-dose salvage chemotherapy have been reported, 96 (22%) of whom have obtained long-term complete remissions. Prognostic factors for outcome were disease status (absolute refractory, refractory or sensitive diseases), primary tumor site, response to prior chemotherapy and serum hCG levels prior to high-dose treatment. Patients with no adverse prognostic factors have a greater than 50% chance of cure after high-dose treatment. Patients with refractory disease did not benefit from high-dose chemotherapy. A randomized European trial is ongoing to evaluate prospectively the role of high-dose chemotherapy in comparison to standard ifosfamide-based salvage treatment. In first-line consolidation treatment of poor-risk non-seminomatous germ-cell tumors, the results of phase II trials with carboplatin-based high-dose therapy are in favor of a survival impact when compared to historical controls. A prospective randomized trial is ongoing in the US to study the role of carboplatin-based high-dose consolidation treatment. The only prospective trial comparing a cisplatin-based high-dose treatment to standard chemotherapy failed to demonstrate any survival advantage for the high-dose procedure in this setting. New developments include the use of repeated cycles of high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem-cell support and the introduction of paclitaxel, a new active drug in this disease, and other non-cross-resistant cytotoxic agents in high-dose combination regimes.

High-dose continuous-infusion fosfestrol in hormone-resistant prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

The initial treatment of advanced-stage prostate cancer is total androgen deprivation. Autonomous proliferation of primarily or secondarily hormonal unresponsive cells may explain the development of hormone-refractory status. The median survival of patients with hormone-resistant disease is short; there is no standard regimen of chemotherapy.

METHODS

Fosfestrol or diethylstilbestrol diphosphate and its metabolites have cytotoxic activity in hormone-refractory prostatic cell lines. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that fosfestrol metabolites have a short half-life that supports the use of long-term infusion in the clinic.

RESULTS

A review of the literature shows that high-dose fosfestrol induces no objective response, a greater than 50% tumor marker decrease in 50% of patients, a subjective improvement in 75% of patients, and cardiovascular complications in 5% of patients. The median survival time of patients is 5 months after the onset of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

An exact evaluation of the role of high-dose estrogens requires additional investigation.

Sarcoidosis and testicular germ cell tumor. Case report

The authors describe the case of a patient with stage II non seminomatous germinal cell tumor of the testis with a generalized sarcoidosis. They review the existing literature and discuss the problem of diagnosis.

Phase I trial of high-dose fosfestrol in hormone-refractory adenocarcinoma of the prostate

Androgen deprivation displays the mean therapy of advanced stage prostatic cancer. The development of hormone-resistant disease leads to a fatal tumor progression. High-dose fosfestrol (diethylstilbestrol disphosphate) has been suggested to circumvent hormone resistance and to induce a direct cytotoxic effect. Twenty-one patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer were enrolled in a phase I trial of continuous infusion of high, daily escalating dose of fosfestrol. Fosfestrol was given in a 3.5 hr infusion in 0.9% normal saline at a starting dose of 1.5 g/d. The dose was increased daily in the same patient according to the following schedule: 1.5, 1.8, 2.4, 3.0, 3.6, 3.9, 4.5, 5.1 and 5.7 g/d. The duration of the infusion was prolonged to 7 or 10.5 hr, if a major side effect occurred. There was neither hematological nor cardiovascular toxicity. The main dose-limiting toxicities were nausea/vomiting in 17 patients, edema in 2 patients, and more than 5% weight gain in 3 patients. The planned maximal dose was reached in 10 patients during a 3.5 hr infusion, and in 3 additional patients, after infusion prolongation. Seven patients experienced a subjective improvement: Prostatic acid phosphatase and prostatic specific antigen decreased in 4 out of 11 and in 7 out of 12 patients, respectively. The suggested dose to phase II trial is 4 g/d in 3.5 hr infusion for a duration of up to 10 days.

Advanced testis cancer

Advanced testis tumors are highly curable. The treatment strategy is chemotherapy followed by the surgical exeresis of residual disease. The standard chemotherapy regimen is BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin); the number of cycles of chemotherapy depends upon prognostic factors, based on the primary site, histology, presence of visceral metastases, and serum tumor marker levels. Patients in the good-risk group receive three cycles of chemotherapy, whereas those in the intermediate- and high-risk groups receive four cycles. Exeresis of all residual disease and systematic postchemotherapy retroperitoneal dissection in bulky disease are mandatory. When complete exeresis of necrotic tissue, teratoma, or active germ-cell cancer has been performed, no further postsurgical treatment is warranted. A multidisciplinary approach, rigorous administration of chemotherapy, and skill in surgery of germ-cell tumors are favored in the treatment of these patients in trained centers.

[Therapeutic trials in inoperable carcinoma of the bladder (author's transl)]

The authors report the preliminary results of attempts at treatment using radiotherapy and chemotherapy for inoperable carcinoma of the bladder. Chemotherapy alone (cis diamine dichloropalatinum : CDDP) used twice for metastases gave 1 regression of more than 50 % and 1 failure, used twice for non-irradiated pelvic tumours gave 1 regression of more than 50 % and finally was associated with no improvement in 7 patients already irradiated. Chemotherapy (CDDP) associated with a series of flash doses of radiotherapy was used in 6 cases and gave one regression of more than 50 % and one of less than 50 %. Bleomycin in continuous infusion associated with flash radiotherapy was used in 3 cases and gave a regression of more than 50 % of pelvic tumours in two. These poor though not completely nil results have lead the authors to develop a cooperative treatment programme involving the urologist, radiotherapist and chemotherapist.

[Gestational trophoblastic tumors]

The term gestational trophoblastic tumours covers hydatidiform moles, invasive moles and choriocarcinomas. These are rare diseases remarkable for their high chemosensitivity. The current objective is to cure all patients while preserving their potential for child bearing. Several studies have elicited prognostic factors, so that treatment can be adjusted to each individual patient. Advances in immunochemistry have led to the discovery of a highly reliable marker (HCG and beta-HCG) which has proved valuable to confirm the diagnosis and to follow the patients during and after treatment.

Role of autologous bone marrow transplantation in germ-cell cancer

The results of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation in 388 patients with germ-cell tumors have been reported. It is clear that one or two cycles of various combinations of etoposide, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, cisplatin, and carboplatin can be administered with acceptable toxicity, and it appears that high doses of etoposide and oxazophosphorine derivatives increase the cure rate. Cyclophosphamide may be preferable to ifosfamide, because it seems less toxic. The need for and the dose and mode of administration of carboplatin remain in question. In patients with refractory disease, the long-term results of high-dose therapy and marrow transplantation are poor, with cure rates of 8% to 20%, but there is no clear alternative. As consolidation treatment after conventional salvage chemotherapy, early results suggest benefit, but randomized trials are needed. As first-line treatment in patients with high-risk disease, the results to date demonstrate no benefit over available therapy.

[Treatment of stage I non-seminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis]

The incidence of germ-cell tumours of the testicle is approximately 4/100,000 men. Approximately half of these have non-seminomatous tumours. Chemotherapy has made clinical cure possible in most patients with metastasis and good prognosis factors (small tumour volume and low or normal hormone markers). This observation has led to a modification of the treatment protocols for patients with stage I disease, i.e. normal imaging after orchidectomy and normal plasma levels of chorionic gonadotrophin and alpha fetoprotein. There are currently three acceptable ways of managing patients with stage I non-seminomatous germ-cell tumours of the testicle after orchidectomy: the wait and see approach generally adopted in Great Britain, retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy used in the United States, or as often proposed in France, adjuvant chemotherapy. The analysis of outcomes reveals that the risk of recurrence would be smallest with retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy or adjuvant chemotherapy while morbidity due to anejaculation would be greater with the former technique. In our opinion, a wait and see attitude combined with chemotherapy adapted for cases with a risk of extratesticular involvement would be justified both in terms of cost-effectiveness and in patient comfort and psychological well-being. This protocol has been adopted by the Cancerology Committee of the French Association of Urology and is strongly encouraged.