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.

Guidelines on Testicular Cancer

OBJECTIVE

To up-date the 2001 version of the EAU testicular cancer guidelines.

METHODS

A non-structured literature review until January 2005 using the MEDLINE database has been performed. Literature has been classified according to evidence-based medicine levels.

RESULTS

Testicular cancer is a highly curable disease. Excellent cure rates have been achieved by standardization of treatment, interdisciplinary management, and tremendous success in performing clinical trials. Currently, the aims of testicular cancer treatment are as follows: for patients with low-stage disease, a reduction in treatment is proposed to improve long-term toxicity in these patients with unaltered life expectancy; for about 10% of patients with advanced disease and poor prognosis, intensification of treatment (including high-dose chemotherapy and new drugs as well as aggressive surgical approaches) is being investigated to improve long-term cure rates.

CONCLUSION

Guidelines will improve clinical practice only if they are regularly updated. This update presents the state-of-the-art management of testicular cancer patients in 2005.

Risk-Adapted Management for Patients With Clinical Stage I Seminoma: The Second Spanish Germ Cell Cancer Cooperative Group Study

Purpose

To assess the efficacy of a risk-adapted treatment policy for patients with stage I seminoma by using universally accepted risk criteria.

Patients and Methods

Between 1999 and 2003, 314 patients with clinical stage I seminoma after orchiectomy were prospectively included. One hundred patients (31.8%) presented no risk factors and were managed with surveillance. In contrast, 131 patients (41.7%) had tumors larger than 4 cm, 33 patients (10.5%) had rete testis involvement, and 50 patients (15.9%) had both risk factors. All the latter received two courses of adjuvant carboplatin.

Results

Chemotherapy was well tolerated, as only 17 patients (7.9%) presented grade 3 to 4 toxicity. Relapses were observed in six patients (6.0%) on surveillance and in seven patients (3.3%) treated with carboplatin (0.8% of tumors larger than 4 cm, 9.1% of those involving the rete testis, and 6.0% of patients with both risk criteria). All were located at the retroperitoneum, except for one at the spermatic cord. Median tumor size was 25 mm (range, 11 to 70 mm), and median time to relapse was 9 months (range, 4 to 28 months). All patients were rendered disease-free with chemotherapy (etoposide plus cisplatin). Median follow-up was 34 months (range, 12 to 72 months). The actuarial 5-year disease-free survival rate was 93.4% for patients on surveillance and 96.2% for patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Overall 5-year survival was 100%.

Conclusion

Adjuvant carboplatin is effective in reducing the relapse rate in patients with stage I seminoma and risk factors. A risk-adapted strategy is safe and feasible and should be considered an alternative to systematic approaches, such as irradiation, chemotherapy, or surveillance.

Randomized Trial of 30 Versus 20 Gy in the Adjuvant Treatment of Stage I Testicular Seminoma: A Report on Medical Research Council Trial TE18, European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Trial 30942 (ISRCTN18525328)

Purpose

To assess the possibility of reducing radiotherapy doses without compromising efficacy in the management of patients with stage I seminoma.

Patients and Methods

Patients were randomly assigned 20 Gy/10 fractions over 2 weeks or 30 Gy/15 fractions during 3 weeks after orchidectomy. They completed a symptom diary card during treatment and quality-of-life forms pre- and post-treatment. The trial was powered to exclude absolute differences in 2-year relapse rates of 3% to 4% (α = .05 [one sided]; 90% power).

Results

From 1995 to 1998, 625 patients were randomly assigned to treatment. Four weeks after starting radiotherapy, significantly more patients receiving 30 Gy reported moderate or severe lethargy (20% v 5%) and an inability to carry out their normal work (46% v 28%). However, by 12 weeks, levels in both groups were similar. With a median follow-up of 61 months, 10 and 11 relapses, respectively, have been reported in the 30- and 20-Gy groups (hazard ratio, 1.11; 90% CI, 0.54 to 2.28). The absolute difference in 2-year relapse rates is 0.7%; the lower 90% confidence limit is 2.9%. Only one patient has died from seminoma (allocated to the 20-Gy treatment group).

Conclusion

Treatment with 20 Gy in 10 fractions is unlikely to produce relapse rates more than 3% higher than for standard 30 Gy radiation therapy, and data on an additional 469 patients randomly assigned in a subsequent trial support and strengthen these results. Reductions in morbidity enable patients to return to work more rapidly. Prolonged follow-up is required before any inference can be made about any impact of allocated treatment on new primary cancer diagnoses.