Sequential high-dose chemotherapy protocol for relapsed poor prognosis germ cell tumors combining two mobilization and cytoreductive treatments followed by three high-dose chemotherapy regimens supported by autologous stem cell transplantation. Results of the phase II multicentric TAXIF trial

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with extracranial germ cell tumors - experience of two Brazilian pediatric centers

Malignant extracranial germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare in pediatric patients and are usually extremely sensitive to chemotherapy. Relapsed or refractory tumors, although rare, established the need for second-line therapies, including high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (HDCT/ASCT). However, there are few data on its use in children with GCTs. We present a retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with extracranial GCTs who received HDCT/ASCT at two Brazilian pediatric cancer centers from May 1999 to December 2019. We identified a total of 34 patients with a median age at diagnosis of 2.8 years (range, 0 to 18.8), who received HDCT/ASCT. Most patients (73%) received carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan (CEM) as a HDCT regimen. Fourteen patients received a second-line conventional dose chemotherapy (CDCT), 14 received a third-line CDCT and five received even a fourth-line CDCT prior to HDCT/ASCT. After a median follow-up of 22.7 months (range, 0.3 to 198.1), 16 patients had died after tumor relapse/progression and 2 patients died from HDCT/ASCT toxicity. We observed a 5-year OS of 47.1% and 5-year EFS of 44.1%. The 5-year OS for patients referred for HDCT/ASCT with progressive disease was 10% compared to 62.5% for those who achieved disease control before HDCT/ASCT (p = 0.001). In our experience, heavily pretreated children and adolescents with extracranial GCTs achieved considerable survival rates with HDCT/ASCT since, at least, partial control of their disease was possible before starting HDCT/ASCT. The role of HDCT/ASCT in pediatric patients with GCTs should be investigated in prospective trials.

Current Status of Stem Cell Transplant in Treatment of Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We aim to discuss the history of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplant in testicular germ cell tumors, prognostic factors to consider prior to transplant, and issues both during and after transplant while also touching on the use of conventional-dose vs. high-dose chemotherapy for initial salvage treatment in patients with relapsed disease.

RECENT FINDINGS

The advancements in the treatment of testicular cancer have led to the majority of patients even with distant metastases being cured of their malignancy. Despite this, around 20% of patients with metastatic disease will relapse after first-line therapy, and the majority of these patients will go on to need further salvage chemotherapy, either with conventional-dose chemotherapy or high-dose chemotherapy. High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplant is an effective salvage therapy and will still remarkably result in cures for the majority of patients with relapsed disease. While patients receiving it as even third-line salvage therapy may achieve cures, earlier administration likely results in greater efficacy.

Hematopoietic stem cell mobilization strategies to support high-dose chemotherapy: A focus on relapsed/refractory germ cell tumors

High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been explored and has played an important role in the management of patients with high-risk germ cell tumors (GCTs) who failed to be cured by conventional chemotherapy. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) collected from the peripheral blood, after appropriate pharmacologic mobilization, have largely replaced bone marrow as the principal source of HSCs in transplants. As it is currently common practice to perform tandem or multiple sequential cycles of HDCT, it is anticipated that collection of large numbers of HSCs from the peripheral blood is a prerequisite for the success of the procedure. Moreover, the CD34+ cell dose/kg of body weight infused after HDCT has proven to be a major determinant of hematopoietic engraftment, with patients who receive > 2 × 10⁶ CD34+ cells/kg having consistent, rapid, and sustained hematopoietic recovery. However, many patients with relapsed/refractory GCTs have been exposed to multiple cycles of myelosuppressive chemotherapy, which compromises the efficacy of HSC mobilization with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor with or without chemotherapy. Therefore, alternative strategies that use novel agents in combination with traditional mobilizing regimens are required. Herein, after an overview of the mechanisms of HSCs mobilization, we review the existing literature regarding studies reporting various HSC mobilization approaches in patients with relapsed/refractory GCTs, and finally report newer experimental mobilization strategies employing novel agents that have been applied in other hematologic or solid malignancies.

High-dose Chemotherapy in Germ Cell Cancer Patients With Brain Metastases: Experience of an Expert Center

OBJECTIVES

Germ cell tumor (GCT) patients with brain metastases (BM) have a poor prognosis and high risk of treatment failure. Optimal therapies for these patients remain controversial. The aim of this study was to report the outcomes of all GCT patients with BM treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) in our French expert center for GCT.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective study of 35 GCT patients with BM who were treated from 2003 to 2019 with HDCT, followed by infusions of autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells.

RESULTS

The overall survival at 2 years was 36.9% (95% confidence interval, 19.7-54). The median overall survival was 12 months and the median progression-free survival was 8 months. No variables were associated with better survival in the univariable analysis. Among the 35 patients included in our study, 31 completed HDCT and 4 stopped treatments after mobilization. Eleven patients (11) showed favorable responses (complete, partial, or stable disease) to HDCT and 20 patients died of disease progression (17) or toxicities (3). Among the 11 patients with favorable responses to HDCT, 8 (72.7%) had metachronous BM, mostly isolated. The majority of these patients did not receive local treatment at diagnosis or at relapse.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our study reveals that GCT patients can experience long-term survival even in the presence of BM. Metachronous BM can also be cured with HDCT even in the absence of local treatment. Biological and radiologic responses to mobilization could be a predictor of favorable responses to HDCT.

Multicentric phase II trial of TI-CE high-dose chemotherapy with therapeutic drug monitoring of carboplatin in patients with relapsed advanced germ cell tumors

Background

High‐dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with TI‐CE regimen is a valid option for the treatment of relapsed advanced germ cell tumors (GCT). We report a phase II trial with therapeutic drug monitoring of carboplatin for optimizing area under the curve (AUC) of this drug.

Methods

Patients with unfavorable relapsed GCT were treated according to TI‐CE regimen: two cycles combining paclitaxel and ifosfamide followed by three cycles of HD carboplatin plus etoposide administered on 3 days. Carboplatin dose was adapted on day 3 based on carboplatin clearance (CL) at day 1 in order to reach a target AUC of 24 mg.min/mL per cycle. The primary endpoint was the complete response (CR) rate.

Results

Eighty‐nine patients who received HDCT were included in the modified intent‐to‐treat (mITT) analysis. Measured mean AUC was 24.4 mg.min/mL per cycle (22.4 and 26.8 mg.min/mL for 10th and 90th percentiles). Thirty‐five (44.3%) patients achieved a CR with or without surgery of residual masses and 20 patients achieved a partial response with negative tumor markers. With a median follow‐up of 44 months (m), median PFS was 12.3 m (95% CI: 7.5–25.9) and OS was 46.3 m (95% CI: 18.6–not reached). For high‐ and very high‐risk patients, according to the International Prognostic Score at first relapse or treated after at least one salvage treatment (n = 51), 2‐year PFS rate was 41.1%.

Conclusion

The rates of complete and favorable responses were clinically relevant in this very poor risk population. Individual monitoring of carboplatin plasma concentration permitted to control more accurately the target AUC and avoided both underexposure and overexposure to the drug.

[Intensification by high dose chemotherapy for germ-cell tumors, still an ongoing subject?]

More than 80 % of patient with metastatic germ cell tumor are cured with first line chemotherapy. Twenty to 30 % of patients will experience relapse or refractory disease with a very poor long-term prognosis. Most of them had metastatic germ cell tumors with a poor prognosis according to the international germ cell classification collaborative group (IGCCCG). The role of treatment intensification by high dose chemotherapy (HDCT) followed by stem cell rescue has not been demonstrated yet in the first line setting compared to standard chemotherapy. The role of HDCT in first or second salvage is also not yet demonstrated, many studies have been published in this situation with a lot of different regimen. Outside clinical trial, HDCT remains an option in salvage therapy, depending on many factors including prognostics factors, previous therapy, general condition and reference center consideration to select eligible patient who could benefit the most of this approach. Results from the international randomized trial TIGER will provide evidence-based information for HDCT strategy.

The Role of Salvage High-Dose Chemotherapy in Relapsed Male Germ Cell Tumors

Germ cell tumors (GCT) are a unique tumor entity with excellent cure rates if guideline-endorsed treatment is thoroughly applied. Even patients with widespread metastatic disease can often be cured with cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy as part of a multimodal treatment approach. However, about 30% of patients with metastatic disease at initial presentation, corresponding to about 5-10% of all GCT patients, relapse or progress despite first-line treatment and therefore require salvage chemotherapy. Salvage systemic treatment either consists of conventional-dose cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy or sequential high-dose treatment with carboplatin and etoposide plus subsequent autologous stem cell support. This review is based on a comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE and conference proceedings of ESMO, ASCO, and EAU meetings until 2018 and provides an overview of current treatment options for germ cell cancer patients relapsing after or progressing during first-line cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy.

Role of one, two and three doses of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous transplantation in the treatment of high-risk or relapsed testicular cancer: a systematic review

Approximately 20-30% of patients with metastatic germ cell cancers (GCCs) can develop relapsed or refractory (RR) disease, about 40-50% of patients who relapse after salvage chemotherapy may reach long-term remission. The goal of this review was to identify patients who appear to benefit from high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). To access this, we performed a systematic medical literature review to evaluate the effectiveness of HDCT in the frontline setting, as well as in patients with RR testicular cancer. We searched databases for interventional clinical studies and identified 5883 studies. We selected 49 studies for inclusion, which included a total of 5985 patients. Seventeen studies reported results of newly diagnosed poor-risk GCC patients and 32 studies reported results of RR patients. For newly diagnosed patients with poor prognostic predictors, a risk adjusted strategy using unfavorable tumor marker decline with initial standard chemotherapy regimen and upfront HDCT demonstrated improved outcomes. Our data suggest a minimum of two HDCT cycles with ASCT should be standard of care for patients with RR GCC. Failure of HDCT results in a poor prognosis with only 10% of patients achieving lasting remission with salvage therapy.

[High-dose chemotherapy as a strategy to overcome drug resistance in solid tumors]

The concept of high-doses chemotherapy was developed in the 1980s based on in vitro scientific observations. Exposure of tumor cells to increasing concentrations of alkylating agents resulted in increased cell death in a strong dose-response manner. Moreover, the acquired resistance of tumor cells could be overcome by dose intensification. In clinic, dose intensification of alkylating agents resulted in increased therapeutic responses, however associated with significant hematological toxicity. Following the development of autologous stem cells transplantation harvesting from peripheral blood, the high-doses of chemotherapy, initially associated with marked toxic effects, could be more easily tolerated. As a result, the approach was evaluated in different types of solid tumors, including breast, ovarian and germ cell tumors, small cell lung carcinoma, soft tissue sarcomas and Ewing sarcoma. To date, high-doses chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem cells support is only used as a salvage therapy to treat poor prognosis germ cell tumors patients with chemo-sensitive disease. Regarding breast and ovarian cancer, high-doses chemotherapy should be considered only in the context of clinical trials. However, intensive therapy as an approach to overcome resistance to standard treatments is still relevant. Numerous efforts are still ongoing to identify novel therapeutic combinations and active treatments to improve patients' responses.

Outcomes of postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection following high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND

Characterizing the role of postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) after high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) has been limited by small sample sizes. This study reports on survival after HDCT with stem cell support and PC-RPLND as well as histologic findings in the retroperitoneum.

METHODS

The prospectively maintained testicular cancer database of Indiana University was queried for patients receiving HDCT with stem cell transplantation before PC-RPLND. The cause and date of death were obtained through patient chart review and contact with referring physicians. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate overall survival (OS). The log-rank test was used for tests of significance. A multivariate, backward, stepwise Cox regression model was built to evaluate predictors of overall mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 92 patients were included in the study. In the entire cohort, the retroperitoneal (RP) histology findings at the time of PC-RPLND were necrosis (26%), teratoma (34%), and cancer (38%). Sixty-six patients (72%) harbored either a teratoma or active cancer in the RP specimen at PC-RPLND. The median follow-up for the entire cohort was 80.6 months. A total of 28 patients (30%) died during follow-up. The 5-year OS rate of the entire cohort was 70%. The most significant predictor of death was PC-RPLND performed in the desperation setting with elevated markers.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite these patients being heavily pretreated with multiple cycles of chemotherapy, including HDCT, approximately three-fourths were found to have a teratoma and/or active cancer in the retroperitoneum. This underscores the importance of PC-RPLND for rendering patients free of disease and providing a potential for cure.

Salvage high-dose chemotherapy for germ cell tumors

BACKGROUND

Salvage high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) along with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) plays an important role in the management of patients with germ cell tumors (GCT) and progression after first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy. In this review, the authors will discuss the history of HDCT as salvage management of patients with GCT, improvement in efficacy and safety over the past 25 years, prognostic factors for outcome, and the conflicting data on the optimal initial salvage approach.

METHODS

The authors performed a PubMed search of HDCT and GCT to identify articles relevant to this review. After discussion, the articles felt to have contributed most notably to the field were selected for inclusion and summarized.

RESULTS

Depending on patient selection and timing of HDCT, durable remission rates with salvage HDCT range between 30% and 63%. The combination of carboplatin and etoposide is the standard regimen for the high-dose cycles with more variability in the regimens used for stem cell mobilization. Adding a third agent, particularly an oxazophosphorine (cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide), may add toxicity without increasing efficacy. In addition, sequential (2 or 3 cycle) HDCT regimens appear more effective and safer than single-cycle HDCT regimens. The optimal initial salvage approach (HDCT or conventional-dose chemotherapy) remains an unanswered question and highly controversial.

CONCLUSIONS

Salvage HDCT with ASCT can cure a significant proportion of patients with GCT and progression after one or more lines of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and thus plays an important role in the contemporary management of high-risk patients.

Intensive chemotherapy as salvage treatment for solid tumors: focus on germ cell cancer

Germ cell tumors present contrasting biological and molecular features compared to many solid tumors, which may partially explain their unusual sensitivity to chemotherapy. Reduced DNA repair capacity and enhanced induction of apoptosis appear to be key factors in the sensitivity of germ cell tumors to cisplatin. Despite substantial cure rates, some patients relapse and subsequently die of their disease. Intensive doses of chemotherapy are used to counter mechanisms of drug resistance. So far, high-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem cell support for solid tumors is used only in the setting of testicular germ cell tumors. In that indication, high-dose chemotherapy is given as the first or late salvage treatment for patients with either relapsed or progressive tumors after initial conventional salvage chemotherapy. High-dose chemotherapy is usually given as two or three sequential cycles using carboplatin and etoposide with or without ifosfamide. The administration of intensive therapy carries significant side effects and can only be efficiently and safely conducted in specialized referral centers to assure optimum patient care outcomes. In breast and ovarian cancer, most studies have demonstrated improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), but overall survival remained unchanged. Therefore, most of these approaches have been dropped. In germ cell tumors, clinical trials are currently investigating novel therapeutic combinations and active treatments. In particular, the integration of targeted therapies constitutes an important area of research for patients with a poor prognosis.

High-dose chemotherapy for germ cell tumors: do we have a model?

INTRODUCTION

Since the late nineties, the intensification of chemotherapy doses with hematopoietic stem cell rescue held promise for patients with advanced and poor prognosis germ cell tumors (GCTs). High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) has, nowadays, a recognized indication in the salvage setting of advanced GCTs and is steadily utilized worldwide.

AREAS COVERED

We evaluated the available data with the use of HDCT in these patients. In addition, we provided an original perspective on several issues as experts on behalf of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and IGG, including peripheral blood stem cells mobilization and the use of HDCT in special subpopulations of GCT, with the aim to help clarify critical issues in the absence of available clear-cut information.

EXPERT OPINION

Despite HDCT being currently considered a therapeutic option in the salvage setting, critical questions regarding patient selection are still unanswered. Eligibility of patients with a chemoresistant disease, the use of available prognostic factors as well as tumor marker decline in clinical practice are pending issues. Moving forward, these are critical arguments in favor of further clinical research in the field of advanced GCTs.

A phase II trial of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) supported by hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) in germ-cell tumors (GCTs) patients failing cisplatin-based chemotherapy: the Multicentric TAXIF II study

BACKGROUND

High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) is an effective salvage treatment of germ-cell tumors (GCTs) patients. In the first salvage setting, 30%-70% of patients may achieve durable remissions. Even when HDCT is administered as subsequent salvage treatment, up to 20% of patients may still be definitively cured. However, patients with refractory/relapsed disease still have a very poor long-term prognosis, requiring earlier intervention of HDCT.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This phase II trial was addressed to nonrefractory patients failing Cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Inclusion criteria included seminomatous GCT in relapse after two lines of chemotherapy, nonseminomatous GCT in relapse after first or second lines, partial remission after first line, primary mediastinal GCT in first relapse. Patients received two cycles combining Epirubicin and Paclitaxel (Epi-Tax), followed by three consecutive HDCT, one using a Paclitaxel/Thiotepa (Thio-Tax) association and two using the 5-day Ifosfamide-Carboplatin-Etoposide regimen. The main objective was to determine the complete response rate.

RESULTS

Forty-five patients were included between September 2004 and December 2007: 44 received the first HDCT cycle, 39 two HDCT cycles, 29 could receive the whole protocol. Sixteen patients did not receive the entire protocol, including eight (17.7%) for toxic side-effects. Two patients (4.4%) died of toxicities, and 17 (37.7%) of disease progression. With a median follow-up time of 26 months (range, 4-51), the final overall response rate was 48.8% (including a complete response rate of 15.5% and a partial response/negative serum markers rate of 26.6%) in an intent-to-treat analysis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times were 22 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 2-not reached] and 32 months (95% CI 4-49), respectively. The 2-year PFS was a plateau setup at 50% (95% CI 32-67) and the 2-year OS was 66% (95% CI 44-81).

CONCLUSION

The TAXIF II protocol was effective in nonrefractory GCT patients failing Cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The toxic death rate remained acceptable in the field of HDCT regimens.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT00231582.

[Treatment of testicular cancer]

Germ-cell tumours (GCTs) are the most common type of cancer in young men. Since the late 1970s, disseminated GCT have been a paradigm for curable metastatic cancer and metastatic GCTs are highly curable with cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgical resection of residual masses. Patients' prognosis is currently assessed using the International Germ-Cell Consensus Classification (IGCCC) and used to adapt the burden of chemotherapy. Approximately 20% of patients still do not achieve cure after first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy, and need salvage chemotherapy (high dose or standard dose chemotherapy). Clinical stage I testicular cancer is the most common presentation and different strategies are proposed: adjuvant therapies, surgery or surveillance. During the last three decades, clinical trials and strong international collaborations lead to the development of a consensus in the management of GCTs.

Transplantation for refractory germ cell tumors: does it really make a difference?

High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) has been used over the past 25 years for germ-cell tumors in a variety of clinical scenarios. There is consensus at this point that its use as part of first-line treatment does not benefit patients with high-risk tumors. Long-term results of prospective trials in patients with relapsed or with refractory disease indicate that a fraction of them achieve long-term remissions consistent with cures. While HDC constitutes for many oncologists in the US an accepted treatment modality for relapsed or refractory GCT, controversy surrounds its use in those settings. Prognostic models have been developed that allow to prospectively identify poor prognosis patients that might benefit from novel HDC-based approaches.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support in patients with metastatic non-seminomatous testicular cancer - a report from the Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group (SWENOTECA)

BACKGROUND

The SWENOTECA IV protocol from 1995 is a prospective population-based study in metastatic non-seminomatous germ cell testicular cancer (NSGCT), designed for early identification of patients with poor response to standard cisplatin-based chemotherapy. A slow tumor marker decline (HCG T(½) > 3 days, AFP T(½) > 7 days) after BEP or BEP plus ifosfamide was regarded as poor response. The aim of this study was to present survival and toxicity data for patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) within the SWENOTECA IV cancer care program.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In total 882 adult men diagnosed with metastatic NSGCT between July 1995 and June 2007 in Sweden and Norway (except one center) were included in SWENOTECA IV and treated accordingly. Among these, 55 men (6.2%) were treated with HDCT according to three different indications in the protocol: A) poor response to standard-dose intensified chemotherapy (BEP plus ifosfamide); B) vital cancer at surgery after intensified chemotherapy; and C) selected relapses after previous chemotherapy. In situation A and C two HDCT cycles and in situation B one HDCT cycle was recommended. Situation A was the reason for HDCT in 36 patients, B in seven and C in 12 patients. The first HDCT cycle consisted of carboplatin 28 × (GFR + 25) mg, cyclofosfamide 6000 mg/m(2) and etoposide 1750 mg/m(2), administered over four days. In cycle two, etoposide was replaced by tiotepa 480 mg/m(2).

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 7.5 years, overall survival was 72%, 100% and 58%, while failure-free survival was 64%, 71% and 42% in situation A, B and C, respectively. Three patients (5.5%) died during HDCT (renal failure or intracerebral hemorrhage). Nephrotoxicity was the most common non-hematological grade 4 toxicity (n = 5, 9%).

CONCLUSION

The population-based SWENOTECA strategy, selecting patients who do not respond adequately to primary standard-dose chemotherapy for immediate treatment intensification with HDCT, is feasible and might be advantageous.

Intensified chemotherapy with stem-cell rescue in germ-cell tumors

BACKGROUND

Based on the high chemosensitivity of germ-cell tumors (GCTs), the concept of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) has been developed worldwide and investigated through many clinical trials. It has been carried out in different clinical settings, ranging from resistant or absolute refractory disease to chemosensitive relapse. HDCT with stem-cell support has been also explored as a part of first-line strategy for poor-prognosis patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Our review summarized results from clinical trials evaluating the role of HDCT in patients with advanced GCTs. So far available data were obtained through a Medline search of English-language literature.

RESULTS

Several phase II trials and retrospective series have shown a possible benefit for GCT patients with recurrent disease as well as in first-line setting. Despite these results, data derived from randomized phase III studies failed to demonstrate any survival advantage for HDCT over conventional chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The role of HDCT in GCTs remains controversial. We need new prospective studies based on prognostic factors with multiple transplants of carboplatin and etoposide as the preferred high dose regimen. At present, based mainly on retrospective and phase II studies, HDCT may represent a therapeutic option for patients with primary refractory disease or for those with a second or further relapse.

TI-CE high-dose chemotherapy for patients with previously treated germ cell tumors: results and prognostic factor analysis

PURPOSE

We previously reported a dose-finding and phase II trial of the TI-CE regimen (paclitaxel [T] plus ifosfamide [I] followed by high-dose carboplatin [C] plus etoposide [E] with stem-cell support) in germ cell tumor (GCT) patients predicted to have a poor prognosis with conventional-dose salvage therapy. We now report the efficacy of TI-CE with prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in our full data set of 107 patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible patients had advanced GCTs with progressive disease following chemotherapy and unfavorable prognostic features (extragonadal primary site, incomplete response [IR] to first-line therapy, or relapse/IR to ifosfamide-cisplatin-based conventional-dose salvage). Univariate and multivariate analyses (MVAs) of prognostic factors were performed. The predictive ability of the Einhorn and Beyer prognostic models was assessed.

RESULTS

Most patients were platinum refractory and had an IR to first-line chemotherapy. There were 54 (5%) complete and eight (8%) partial responses with negative markers; 5-year DFS was 47% and OS was 52% (median follow-up, 61 months). No relapses occurred after 2 years. Five (24%) of 21 primary mediastinal nonseminomatous GCTs are continuously disease free. On MVA, primary mediastinal site (P < .001), two or more lines of prior therapy (P < .001), baseline human chorionic gonadotropin > or = 1,000 U/L (P = .01), and lung metastases (P = .02) significantly predicted adverse DFS. Poor-risk patients did worse than good- or intermediate-risk patients according to both Beyer (P < .002) and Einhorn (P < .05) models.

CONCLUSION

TI-CE is effective salvage therapy for GCT patients with poor prognostic features. Mediastinal primary site and two or more lines of prior therapy were most predictive of adverse DFS. Beyer and Einhorn models can assist in predicting outcome.

TI-CE high-dose chemotherapy for patients with previously treated germ cell tumors: results and prognostic factor analysis

PURPOSE

We previously reported a dose-finding and phase II trial of the TI-CE regimen (paclitaxel [T] plus ifosfamide [I] followed by high-dose carboplatin [C] plus etoposide [E] with stem-cell support) in germ cell tumor (GCT) patients predicted to have a poor prognosis with conventional-dose salvage therapy. We now report the efficacy of TI-CE with prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in our full data set of 107 patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible patients had advanced GCTs with progressive disease following chemotherapy and unfavorable prognostic features (extragonadal primary site, incomplete response [IR] to first-line therapy, or relapse/IR to ifosfamide-cisplatin-based conventional-dose salvage). Univariate and multivariate analyses (MVAs) of prognostic factors were performed. The predictive ability of the Einhorn and Beyer prognostic models was assessed.

RESULTS

Most patients were platinum refractory and had an IR to first-line chemotherapy. There were 54 (5%) complete and eight (8%) partial responses with negative markers; 5-year DFS was 47% and OS was 52% (median follow-up, 61 months). No relapses occurred after 2 years. Five (24%) of 21 primary mediastinal nonseminomatous GCTs are continuously disease free. On MVA, primary mediastinal site (P < .001), two or more lines of prior therapy (P < .001), baseline human chorionic gonadotropin > or = 1,000 U/L (P = .01), and lung metastases (P = .02) significantly predicted adverse DFS. Poor-risk patients did worse than good- or intermediate-risk patients according to both Beyer (P < .002) and Einhorn (P < .05) models.

CONCLUSION

TI-CE is effective salvage therapy for GCT patients with poor prognostic features. Mediastinal primary site and two or more lines of prior therapy were most predictive of adverse DFS. Beyer and Einhorn models can assist in predicting outcome.

Salvage chemotherapy after failure of first-line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic testicular cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Because of the small number of relapsed patients, their prognostic variability and the complexity of second-line therapy, randomized studies are largely lacking and treatment recommendations for patients with relapse after first-line chemotherapy are derived from retrospective series or phase II studies. This review summarizes the existing evidence including several recently published larger studies on the use of high-dose chemotherapy in these patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with unfavorable features such as incomplete response to first-line therapy, cisplatin refractoriness, multiple relapses or advanced stage at initial diagnosis have been shown to benefit from salvage high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support. Long-term survival rates of up to 60% have been reported after salvage high-dose chemotherapy for these patients. The treatment for patients relapsing after complete remission to first-line therapy, cisplatin-sensitive disease and gonadal primary remains controversial. Excellent long-term event-free survival rates of up to 80% have been reported after both conventional and high-dose chemotherapy. Surgery remains an important part of any salvage strategy.

SUMMARY

The prognosis of patients relapsing after first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy has improved with multimodality therapy including conventional and high-dose chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. The treatment of these patients requires a close cooperation of experienced medical oncologists, urologists and radiation oncologists.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell support for solid tumors in adults

Supported by experimental evidence and convincing results of early phase II studies, since the 1980s high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous hematopoietic stem cell support (AHSCT) has been uncritically adopted by many oncologists as a potentially curative option for several solid tumors. As a result, the number (and size) of randomized trials comparing this approach with conventional chemotherapy initiated (and often abandoned before completion) in this setting was limited and the benefit of a greater escalation of dose of chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation in solid tumors remains, with the possible exception of breast carcinoma (BC) and germ cell tumors (GCT), largely unsettled. In this article, we review and comment on the data from studies to date of HDC for solid tumors in adults.

High-dose chemotherapy and stem-cell rescue for metastatic germ-cell tumors

BACKGROUND

Metastatic testicular tumors that have not been successfully treated by means of initial chemotherapy are potentially curable with salvage chemotherapy.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of 184 consecutive patients with metastatic testicular cancer that had progressed after they received cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy. We gave 173 patients two consecutive courses of high-dose chemotherapy consisting of 700 mg of carboplatin per square meter of body-surface area and 750 mg of etoposide per square meter, each for 3 consecutive days, and each followed by an infusion of autologous peripheral-blood hematopoietic stem cells; the other 11 patients received a single course of this treatment. In 110 patients, cytoreduction with one or two courses of vinblastine plus ifosfamide plus cisplatin preceded the high-dose chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Of the 184 patients, 116 had complete remission of disease without relapse during a median follow-up of 48 months (range, 14 to 118). Of the 135 patients who received the treatment as second-line therapy, 94 were disease-free during follow-up; 22 of 49 patients who received treatment as third-line or later therapy were disease-free. Of 40 patients with cancer that was refractory to standard-dose platinum, 18 were disease-free. A total of 98 of 144 patients who had platinum-sensitive disease were disease-free, and 26 of 35 patients with seminoma and 90 of 149 patients with nonseminomatous germ-cell tumors were disease-free. Among the 184 patients, there were three drug-related deaths during therapy. Acute leukemia developed in three additional patients after therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Testicular tumors are potentially curable by means of high-dose chemotherapy plus hematopoietic stem-cell rescue, even when this regimen is used as third-line or later therapy or in patients with platinum-refractory disease.

[Testis germ cell tumours: which chemotherapy, for which patients?]

Germ cell tumours of the testis are curable disease. Two different pathological subtypes are observed: seminoma and non-seminoma. Two tumour stages have been defined: the disease limited to the testis and the advanced disease. In the latter group, the prognosis is established by a specific classification based on the level of serum tumour marker and the location of the metastases. The most active first line chemotherapy is a combination of bleomycine, etoposide and cisplatine. Patients with good prognostic factors receive three cycles of this regimen; patients with poor-risk characteristics receive four cycles of the same regimen. The strategy in non-seminoma patients is to give a first-line chemotherapy adapted to the risk factors, then to complete surgical exeresis of all residual disease. Patients with stage I disease may receive two cycles of the same regimen. The strategy for advanced seminoma is to give first-line good-risk chemotherapy followed by a close observation and in several selected cases a surgical removal of all residual disease. Patients with stage I disease may receive one cycle of carboplatin. Salvage chemotherapy is based on the combination of ifosfamide, cisplatine and either vinblastine or paclitaxel.

Allogeneic bone marrow transplant for refractory mediastinal germ cell tumour: possible evidence of graft-versus-tumour effect

Mediastinal germ cell tumours (GCT) carry a poor prognosis, particularly after relapse. We have reviewed the published reports of current treatments and describe a case with a cure after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant, which is not reported in the current published data. We believe that GCT may be susceptible to a graft-versus-tumour effect and suggest that patients with relapsed GCT be considered for allogeneic transplantation.

Chemotherapy for advanced germ cell tumors

PURPOSE

Germ cell tumors constitute the most curable of all cancers. Standard treatment of previously untreated and treated patients has evolved on the basis of prospective clinical trials and prognostic factors. This review summarizes the prognostic criteria on which treatment decisions may be based, and outlines the current treatment approaches.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Randomized and nonrandomized trials of first-line, salvage, and palliative therapy and the role of surgery after chemotherapy were reviewed. In the treatment of previously untreated patients, emphasis was placed on interpretation of data of trials according to the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group model, which has evolved into a universally accepted classification algorithm for determining appropriate risk-directed chemotherapy. This system permits treatment choices based on the balance between benefit and toxicity and allows comparison of results across multiple clinical trials.

RESULTS

Standard therapy for good-risk patients is four cycles of etoposide plus cisplatin or three cycles of cisplatin, etoposide plus bleomycin (BEP x 3); both approaches cure approximately 90% of patients. After chemotherapy and normalization of markers, patients should generally undergo resection of residual masses. Approximately 75% of intermediate-risk and 45% of poor-risk patients group achieve a durable complete response with BEP x 4. Potentially curative options in the salvage setting include ifosfamide plus cisplatin-containing standard dose therapy and high-dose carboplatin plus stem-cell rescue. Surgery remains an essential component of care.

CONCLUSION

Curative therapy exists even in patients with resistant disease, and treatment choices can be based on established clinical criteria. Serum tumor markers and surgery after chemotherapy have essential roles in patient management

Testicular germ cell tumors

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

An overview of many of the preclinical and clinical developments in germ cell tumors over the past year is presented.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent epidemiologic studies show changes in the ethnic incidence of germ cell tumors; in particular, African-Americans have seen an increase. Additionally, risk factors for the development of germ cell tumors continue to be identified. Work on the molecular pathways involved in the progression to malignancy continues to expand. First line treatment for the disease is highly effective. In an effort to limit unnecessary treatments and treatment-related toxicities, risk-adapted adjuvant therapies are being explored in early stage germ cell tumors. Identification of more effective second-line treatments for advanced relapsing and refractory disease remains a priority.

SUMMARY

Germ cell tumors are highly treatable, but significant challenges remain for recurrent and refractory disease. Recent studies on the molecular pathogenesis of germ cell tumors further highlight the complexity of the disease. As these processes are better understood, the therapeutic options will continue to evolve.

High dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell support for solid tumors other than breast cancer in adults

Since the early 1980s high dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell support was adopted by many oncologists as a potentially curative option for solid tumors, supported by a strong rationale from laboratory studies and apparently convincing results of early phase II studies. As a result, the number and size of randomized trials comparing this approach with conventional chemotherapy initiated (and often abandoned before completion) to prove or disprove its value was largely insufficient. In fact, with the possible exception of breast carcinoma, the benefit of a greater escalation of dose of chemotherapy with stem cell support in solid tumors is still unsettled and many oncologists believe that this approach should cease. In this article, we critically review and comment on the data from studies of high dose chemotherapy so far reported in adult patients with small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, germ cell tumors and sarcomas.

The management of poor-prognosis, non-seminomatous germ-cell tumours

Despite a high cure rate in men with testicular cancer, some men in the poor-prognosis group have a less favourable outcome. Poor-prognosis non-seminomatous germ-cell tumours (NSGCT) are defined as those with high tumour markers, non-pulmonary visceral metastases or a mediastinal primary site at presentation. When treated with standard chemotherapy regimens, such as bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP), cure rates of less than 50% have been achieved in an international pooled analysis. Some strategies aimed at improving results include the use of multi-agent regimens (e.g. POMB/ACE), intensive-induction chemotherapy (e.g. CBOP/BEP), new chemotherapy drugs, such as ifosfamide, gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, high-dose chemotherapy, including autotransplantation. To date, no schedule has been proven to be better than standard BEP in randomised trials. We will review the published data relating to first-line and salvage treatment of poor-prognosis NSGCT. To advance the management of this disease, physicians treating poor-prognosis disease are urged to support multi-centre trials, such as the recently launched MRC TE23 study comparing BEP and CBOP/BEP.