Alternatives to standard BEP x 3 in good-prognosis germ cell tumors--you bet your life

Treatment de-escalation for stage II seminoma

International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group good-risk metastatic seminoma has cure rates of >95%. Within this risk group, patients with stage II disease exhibit the best oncological outcomes with the standard-of-care treatment strategies of radiotherapy or combination chemotherapy. However, these treatments can be associated with substantial early and late toxic effects. Therapy de-escalation aims to reduce treatment morbidity whilst preserving oncological outcomes. The evidence supporting such approaches is largely from non-randomized institutional data, and therefore this strategy is not recognized as standard of care. Current de-escalation approaches for stage II seminoma include single-agent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery based on early data from clinical studies. Increased recognition of emerging data on treatment modification to reduce morbidity whilst maintaining cure rates and consideration of therapy de-escalation could improve patient survivorship outcomes.

Four Cycles of Etoposide plus Cisplatin for Patients with Good-Risk Advanced Germ Cell Tumors

Background

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends either three cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin or four cycles of etoposide and cisplatin (EPx4) as initial chemotherapy for the treatment of good‐risk germ cell tumors (GCTs). To assess the response, toxicity, and survival outcomes of EPx4, we analyzed our experience.

Material and Methods

Response and survival outcomes, selected toxicities, and adherence to chemotherapy dose and schedule were assessed in patients with good‐risk GCT who received EPx4 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between 1982 and 2016. The results were compared with our past results and published data.

Results

Between 1982 and 2016, 944 patients with GCT were treated with EPx4, 289 who were previously reported plus 655 treated between January 2000 and August 2016. A favorable response was achieved in 928 of 944 patients (98.3%). Five‐year progression‐free, disease‐specific, and overall survival rates were 93.9%, 98.6%, and 97.9%, respectively. Median follow‐up was 7.3 years (range, 2.8 months to 35.5 years). Viable, nonteratomatous malignant GCT was present in 3.5% of 432 postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection specimens from patients with nonseminomatous GCT. Febrile neutropenia and thromboembolic events occurred in 16.0% and 8.9%, respectively, with one treatment‐related death. In the more recent 655‐patient cohort, full‐dose EPx4 was administered to 631 (96.3%), with deviations from planned treatment driven mainly by vascular (n = 13), hematologic (n = 11), renal (n = 7), or infectious (n = 5) events.

Conclusion

EPx4 is highly effective and well tolerated in patients with good‐risk GCTs and remains a standard of care.

Implications for Practice

Four cycles of etoposide and cisplatin (EPx4) is a standard‐of‐care regimen for all patients with good‐risk germ cell tumors with a favorable response rate and disease‐specific survival of 98%. Full‐dose administration of etoposide and cisplatin and complete resection of residual disease lead to optimal outcomes. EPx4 should be the recommended regimen in active smokers, patients with reduced or borderline kidney function, and patients aged 50 years or older, which are patient groups at increased risk for bleomycin pulmonary toxicity. Because of a risk of acquired severe pulmonary illness, EPx4 may also be favored for patients who vape or use e‐cigarettes and during ongoing transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

The NCCN recommends either three cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEPx3) or four cycles of etoposide and cisplatin (EPx4) as initial chemotherapy for the treatment of good‐risk germ cell tumors. This article assesses outcomes specific to EPx4 treatment.

Management of Germ Cell Tumors During the Outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic: A Survey of International Expertise Centers

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a public health emergency affecting frail populations, including patients with cancer. This poses the question of whether cancer treatments can be postponed or modified without compromising their efficacy, especially for highly curable cancers such as germ cell tumors (GCTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To depict the state-of-the-art management of GCTs during the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey including 26 questions was circulated by e-mail among the physicians belonging to three cooperative groups: (a) Italian Germ Cell Cancer Group; (b) European Reference Network-Rare Adult Solid Cancers, Domain G3 (rare male genitourinary cancers); and (c) Genitourinary Medical Oncologists of Canada. Percentages of agreement between Italian respondents (I) versus Canadian respondents (C), I versus European respondents (E), and E versus C were compared by using Fisher's exact tests for dichotomous answers and chi square test for trends for the questions with three or more options.

RESULTS

Fifty-three GCT experts responded to the survey: 20 Italian, 6 in other European countries, and 27 from Canada. Telemedicine was broadly used; there was high consensus to interrupt chemotherapy in COVID-19-positive patients (I = 75%, C = 55%, and E = 83.3%) and for use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor primary prophylaxis for neutropenia (I = 65%, C = 62.9%, and E = 50%). The main differences emerged regarding the management of stage I and stage IIA disease, likely because of cultural and geographical differences.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights the common efforts of GCT experts in Europe and Canada to maintain high standards of treatment for patients with GCT with few changes in their management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Despite the chaos, disruptions, and fears fomented by the COVID-19 illness, oncology care teams in Italy, other European countries, and Canada are delivering the enormous promise of curative management strategies for patients with testicular cancer and other germ cell tumors. At the same time, these teams are applying safe and innovative solutions and sharing best practices to minimize frequency and intensity of patient contacts with thinly stretched health care capacity.

Systemic therapy for primary and extragonadal germ cell tumors: prognosis and nuances of treatment

Testicular germ cell tumors are the most common solid tumors in young men. These cancers represent a success story of modern medicine in our ability to cure young patients and offer decades of life, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 95%. This review outlines the staging and risk classification of testicular cancers, and reviews the current state of knowledge and standard of care for the systemic treatment of testicular germ cell tumors with chemotherapy, focusing on the relevant clinical data supporting each treatment regimen. This review also briefly highlights current areas of active investigation, notably in the relapsed and refractory setting, including ongoing clinical trials.

MicroRNAs as Biomarkers for Germ Cell Tumors

Two clusters of microRNAs have been discovered highly expressed by seminoma and nonseminoma germ cell tumors. They are secreted in blood of patients with testicular germ cell tumors and can be extracted from the serum or plasma and quantified by real-time-polymerase chain reaction. Results have confirmed the feasibility of the technique and demonstrated that sensitivity and specificity of those microRNAs in detecting viable germ cell tumors are higher than with current methods. If operation characteristics are confirmed in larger studies, those microRNAs will be valuable to manage equivocal clinical scenarios characterized by high uncertainty and high risk of over-treatment or under-treatment.