The indications, rationale, and results of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation in the treatment of prostatic cancer: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center results

OBJECTIVES

The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to definitive surgery has been firmly established in other areas of oncology, most notably in the treatment to testis and Wilm's tumors. The use of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in conjunction with radical prostatectomy remains a source of controversy. We have conducted phase II and phase III studies to assess the effects of 3 months of preoperative ADT (goserelin and flutamide) on the pathologic staging and postsurgery prostate-specific antigen (PSA) relapse rate. We also reviewed the data confirming the understaging of clinically localized prostatic cancer and the experimental data providing the conceptual support for ADT.

METHODS

We report the results of 141 patients, Stage T0-T0, in a Phase II study with concurrent, nonrandomized controls (N = 72) versus a treatment arm (N = 69) of men receiving 3 months of ADT with 3.6 mg goserelin for 28 days and 750 mg flutamide daily. We also report the interim results in 114 men participating in a prospective, randomized study of ADT versus surgery alone.

RESULTS

The 69 patients who received 3 months of goserelin and flutamide followed by radical prostatectomy had a pathologic organ-confined cancer rate of 74%, versus 48% in the control group who received no ADT prior to surgery. The margin-positive rate was 10% in the ADT group versus 33% in the control group. In an interim analysis of 114 patients (59 ADT, 55 control), the organ-confined and margin-positive rates were 73% and 17% in the ADT group versus 56% and 36% in the control arm, respectively. The PSA disease-free rate at a mean follow-up of 28.6 months (range 6.2 to 49.5 months) was 89% in the ADT-treated patients (N = 98) and 84% in the control patients (N = 96). There was no statistical difference demonstrated between the arms with respect to biochemical failure.

CONCLUSIONS

While the pathologic staging of tumors following ADT treatment was improved compared with surgical controls, to date the PSA disease-free survival rates are similar. Patients with residual extracapsular (P3) disease after ADT manifest an increased PSA failure rate compared with those with P3 tumors treated by surgery alone. This suggests that ADT may identify a subset of patients with aggressive tumors that may be candidates for additional therapeutic interventions even before PSA failure occurs.

Experience with neoadjuvant diethylstilboestrol and radical prostatectomy in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE

To report our experience with neoadjuvant endocrine therapy and radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-five patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma (18 clinical stage B2/3, 27 clinical stage C, and 10 clinical stage D0) were treated with diethylstilboestrol (DES) 3 mg/d (median time 12 weeks, range 5-36) followed by pelvic lymph node dissection and planned RRP. Clinical response was monitored bi-weekly with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), serum acid phosphatase and digital rectal examination.

RESULTS

The median pre-treatment serum PSA was 20.4 ng/ml (range 1.2-620). The median post-treatment, pre-operative serum PSA was 0.4 ng/ml. Twenty-seven (49%), 41 (75%) and 54 (98%) patients had serum PSA levels that were undetectable, < 1.0 ng/ml and < 4.0 ng/ml respectively. In 15 patients, transrectal ultrasound measurement of prostatic volume changes was performed, and all demonstrated prostate volume reduction (median reduction 35%, range 18-45). All 55 patients underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy, with 47 (85%) undergoing RRP. Of the eight patients not undergoing RRP, three had negative lymph nodes but prostate resection was not deemed feasible and five had nodal metastases as determined by frozen section analysis. Final pathological stage revealed the following distribution: organ confined tumours, 18 (33%); capsular perforation with negative surgical margins, seminal vesicles and lymph nodes, seven (13%); seminal vesicle and/or margin involvement with negative lymph nodes, 18 (33%); lymph node metastases, 12 (22%). Neither pre-therapy serum PSA nor serum PSA response was predictive of final pathological stage. With a median follow-up interval of 26 months (range 12-49), 21 patients (38%) have undetectable serum PSA without adjuvant therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that despite clinical evidence suggestive of downstaging, the majority of patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma managed with neoadjuvant DES and RRP continue to have pathological evidence of extraprostatic carcinoma.

Use of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy in clinically localized prostate cancer

Radical prostatectomy is an excellent form of treatment of pathologically organ-confined prostatic carcinoma. However, most clinically localized prostatic cancers have pathologic evidence of extracapsular spread, limiting the effectiveness of radical surgery in curing this disease. To improve the organ-confined rate of prostate cancer, we studied the effect of preoperative or neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Our initial attempts focused on downstaging locally advanced tumors (T3) with neoadjuvant diethylstilbestrol (3 mg/d). Our study of 59 patients revealed that although there were significant clinical signs of downstaging, most patients still had extraprostatic disease. However, a subset of patients demonstrated marked pathologic regression, so we initiated a nonrandomized but controlled study of neoadjuvant ADT (goserelin acetate and flutamide for 3 months) followed by radical prostatectomy in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. Of 72 control and 69 study patients, the rate of organ-confined disease was 48% and 74% (including 4% with no detectable residual carcinoma), respectively. In addition, the margin-positive rate was 33% and 10%, respectively. As demonstrated in the previous study, changes in serum prostate-specific antigen, transrectal ultrasonographic evaluations, and digital rectal examinations could not predict those patients with favourable pathology. Our results suggest that neoadjuvant ADT may improve the pathologic stage in some prostatic carcinomas and is worthy of further investigation in the efforts to augment the effectiveness of radical prostatectomy.

Secondary carcinoma of kidney from parotid gland tumor

Secondary tumors of the kidney are rarely diagnosed during life. However they should be suspected in a patient with a primary malignancy of nonrenal origin and a renal mass. A case of parotid cancer metastatic to the kidney is presented. This case is unique because of its rarity, clinical presentation, and pathologic findings.

Randomized trial of etoposide and cisplatin versus etoposide and carboplatin in patients with good-risk germ cell tumors: a multiinstitutional study

PURPOSE

This multicenter, randomized phase III clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of etoposide plus carboplatin (EC) versus etoposide plus cisplatin (EP) in good-risk germ cell tumor (GCT) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between October 1986 and December 1990, 270 patients with good-risk GCTs were randomized to receive four cycles of either EP or EC. The etoposide dose in all patients was 100 mg/m2 on days 1 through 5. EP patients received cisplatin at 20 mg/m2 on days 1 through 5 and therapy was recycled at 21-day intervals. For EC patients, the carboplatin dose was 500 mg/m2 on day 1 of each cycle and the EC recycling interval was 28 days.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty-five patients were assessable: 131 patients treated with EC and 134 treated with EP. One hundred fifteen of 131 assessable patients (88%) treated with EC achieved a complete response (CR) versus 121 of 134 patients (90%) treated with EP (P = .32). Sixteen patients (12%) treated with EC relapsed from CR versus four patients (3%) treated with EP. Therefore, 32 patients (24%) who received carboplatin experienced an event (incomplete response [IR] or relapse) compared with 17 of 134 patients (13%) who received cisplatin (P = .02). At a median follow-up of 22.4 months, event-free and relapse-free survival were inferior for patients treated with EC (P = .02 and P = .005, respectively). No difference in overall survival was evident (P = .52).

CONCLUSION

Two-drug therapy with EC using this dose and schedule was inferior to therapy with EP. Cisplatin remains as the standard platinum analog in the treatment of patients with good-risk GCTs. Carboplatin should be restricted to investigational trials in GCT.

The role of neoadjuvant hormonal manipulation in localized prostatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Although hormonal manipulation is standard therapy for patients with metastatic prostatic cancer, its use in localized disease in combination with surgical extirpation of the gland has not been investigated thoroughly and systematically.

METHODS

The authors report their initial pilot studies using preoperative neoadjuvant endocrine therapy.

RESULTS

Although marked reduction in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels occurred in all patients, the PSA level after endocrine manipulation did not predict the pathologic stage. In addition, immunohistochemical staining of the radical prostatectomy specimen for PSA, in several patients with a zero serum PSA level, after endocrine therapy revealed intense PSA staining in the cancer cells but not in benign epithelium. The effects on tumor downstaging were inconclusive. Overall, only 33% of patients had organ-confined disease, but in some patients, complete tumor regression (PO) occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy in prostatic cancer, although definitely not standard therapy, bears investigation. In addition to the effect on the "index" cancer, it also provides an opportunity to evaluate the effect of hormonal agents on microfocal ("early") cancer and known precursors of malignant change. Therefore, it may provide a means of assessing agents of potential use in the development of chemopreventive strategies.

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow rescue for patients with refractory germ cell tumors. Early intervention is better tolerated

Therapy with high-dose carboplatin plus etoposide-based chemotherapy plus autologous bone marrow rescue (AUBMR) was administered to 29 patients with advanced germ cell tumors (GCT) refractory to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Two groups of patients with refractory disease were treated. Sixteen patients had been identified as "poor risk" at diagnosis and had an inappropriately slow decline of serum tumor markers after two cycles of induction cisplatin-based therapy (Group A). In addition, 13 patients were treated who had never had a complete response (CR) or had relapses after ifosfamide-based salvage chemotherapy (Group B). Patients in Group A were treated with high-dose carboplatin etoposide, and patients in Group B received high-dose carboplatin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide. Fifteen of 29 (52%) patients had a CR (9, Group A; 6, Group B). The patients in Group A had fewer hematologic toxic effects, and the median number of days from day 0 to a granulocyte count greater than 0.5/microliters was 16 and to a platelet count of more than 50/microliters was 15, compared with 22 days and 23 days in Group B, respectively. There were fewer episodes of culture-positive sepsis in Group A (12%) compared with Group B (26%), and the only treatment-related death occurred in Group B. Therapy with high-dose carboplatin plus etoposide-based chemotherapy plus AUBMR is effective for patients with GCT refractory to regimens of cisplatin with or without ifosfamide. Early use of high-dose chemotherapy reduces hematologic toxic effects and allows patients to start treatment in a more predictable fashion after cytoreduction, rather than when the disease is progressing rapidly.

Salvage chemotherapy for patients with germ cell tumors. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center experience (1979-1989)

Twenty-eight of 124 (23%) advanced germ cell tumor (GCT) patients who were treated on four successive platin-based induction regimens and who failed to achieve a durable complete response (CR) remain alive (median follow-up, 50 months). An analysis of prognostic factors for response and survival was conducted on the 94 patients who received salvage chemotherapy. Survival and/or response to salvage therapy were significantly enhanced for patients with a prior CR to induction chemotherapy, treatment with a cisplatin-based salvage regimen, a testis primary site, a normal serum human chorionic gonadotropin level, a normal serum lactate dehydrogenase level, one site of metastasis, and an Indiana Class of 6 or less. Patients with a prior incomplete response (IR) had a particularly poor prognosis (P = 0.00007) with only 4 of 52 (9%) patients alive (median follow-up, 37 months) compared with 15 of 42 (36%) patients with a prior best response of a CR (median follow-up, 35 months). The poor survival of patients who fail to achieve a durable CR to induction chemotherapy warrants the continued investigation of new salvage therapy. The identification of prognostic features may direct salvage therapy and aid in the interpretation of clinical trials of salvage regimens.

The role of ifosfamide plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy as salvage therapy for patients with refractory germ cell tumors

A prospective study of four cycles of etoposide with ifosfamide and cisplatin (VIP) chemotherapy was conducted in 42 germ cell tumor (GCT) patients who were refractory to cisplatin with etoposide/vinblastine-based therapy. Forty patients were evaluable for response. Ten patients (25%) had a complete response: seven to chemotherapy alone and an additional three patients after surgical resection of viable GCT. With a median follow-up of 15 months, four complete responders relapsed, and six patients (15%) remain in remission. Hematologic and nephrotoxicity were moderately severe. Durable complete responses with VIP as second salvage were achieved and suggests that ifosfamide adds efficacy to standard first-salvage therapy. The observed nephrotoxicity and myelotoxicity are considerations in the design of ifosfamide-cisplatin-based regimens. Hematopoietic growth factors may be useful in ameliorating myelotoxicity. The early use of ifosfamide-based chemotherapy may reduce the nephrotoxicity exacerbated by prior cisplatin. A trial of VIP as first salvage after a relapse from a complete response to platinum-based induction therapy is warranted. The modest proportion of patients who achieve a durable remission to VIP as second salvage emphasizes the need for more efficacious salvage therapy for patients who do not achieve a durable complete response.

Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for invasive bladder cancer. Experience with the M-VAC regimen

A series of 71 patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer received a median of 3 cycles (range 1-6) of methotrexate, vinblastine, Adriamycin and cisplatin (M-VAC). Efficacy assessed by transurethral resection alone showed that 48% of patients were TO, 13% Tis and 54% had normalisation of initially positive urinary cytology after treatment. However, when considering transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB), cytology and non-invasive procedures (CT scan and/or ultrasound), only 21% had a clinical complete remission (cCR); 48 patients (68%) had pathological evaluation and 13 (27%) were PO after treatment. Non-responding patients had a poor prognosis: 14/30 (47%) developed metastatic disease and 13 died. In assessing the primary lesions, clinical understaging was significant. Of 15 patients who were TO cystoscopically prior to surgery, 6 (40%) had residual disease in the pathological specimen, including 4 with muscle infiltration; 23 patients (32%) remained clinically staged, only 8 of whom remain disease-free. With a median follow-up of 24 months (range 2-42+), 41 patients are alive and disease-free, including 20 with a functional bladder. The large staging error raises questions concerning studies using clinical rather than pathological endpoints as the sole criteria of efficacy.

Advanced seminoma: the role of chemotherapy and adjunctive surgery

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy and adjunctive surgery in managing patients with advanced seminoma.

DESIGN

Nonrandomized prospective clinical trial of chemotherapy in a cohort of patients with advanced seminoma.

SETTING

Referral cancer hospital.

PATIENTS

Consecutive sample of 62 patients with primary extragonadal, stage IIC (greater than 5-cm retroperitoneal adenopathy) and stage III seminoma; 45 patients were previously untreated, 13 had received radiotherapy, and 4 had previously received radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

INTERVENTION

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy (100 to 120 mg/m2 body surface area per cycle of treatment); 45 patients received vinblastine, bleomycin, cisplatin, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide; 15, etoposide and cisplatin; and 2, both regimens.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Fifty-three of the sixty (88%) evaluable patients achieved a complete remission, and only 6 patients had relapses. Fifty-three of the sixty-two patients (85%) remain alive and disease-free. The regimen of etoposide and cisplatin was equivalent to regimens using more drugs. An elevated level of human chorionic gonadotropin at the initiation of treatment was associated with a worse prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is effective treatment for patients with extragonadal, stage IIC, and stage III seminoma and should be considered as initial therapy.

Residual mass: an indication for further therapy in patients with advanced seminoma following systemic chemotherapy

Forty-one advanced seminoma patients with normal biochemical markers and a complete or partial radiographic response after cisplatin-based chemotherapy had a complete reevaluation of all known sites of disease. Twenty-three patients had a residual mass, and in 14 the mass was greater than or equal to 3 cm. Nineteen patients with a residual mass, including 13 with a mass greater than or equal to 3 cm in diameter, had surgical excision or biopsy. Four patients had viable seminoma and one patient had teratoma; all five of these patients had residual masses greater than or equal to 3 cm. Four patients with a residual mass were observed without surgery. One patient with a residual mass greater than or equal to 3 cm progressed with biopsy-proven seminoma. Therefore, six of 14 patients (42%) with a residual mass greater than or equal to 3 cm had viable residual tumor. Eighteen patients had no residual mass after chemotherapy. Ten of these patients had surgery or biopsy; none had viable tumor, but two have relapsed. Eight patients were observed and none have relapsed. Advanced seminoma patients with a residual mass greater than or equal to 3 cm after chemotherapy are at high risk for residual viable tumor. Additional therapy is indicated for these patients. For patients with normal imaging studies or a residual mass less than 3 cm, close observation without surgery is generally possible.

Alternating cycles of etoposide plus cisplatin and VAB-6 in the treatment of poor-risk patients with germ cell tumors

A phase II trial of 6 months of alternating etoposide plus cisplatin (EP) and cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, cisplatin (VAB-6) was conducted in 41 evaluable patients in an attempt to improve the treatment results in those patients considered to have "poor-risk" germ cell tumors (GCT). Eight of 14 (57%) patients with mediastinal and retroperitoneal GCTs achieved complete remission (CR), and five (36%) remain alive and free of disease. Fourteen of 27 patients (52%) with poor-risk testicular cancer achieved CR, and ten (37%) remain alive and free of disease. Two patients with seminoma, one each with a testicular and extragonadal primary tumor, achieved durable CRs. Toxicity was tolerable, but greater than that of VAB-6 alone. The response and survival of the 39 patients with nonseminomatous tumors were found to be identical to the results of 29 patients with nonseminomatous GCTs and poor-risk characteristics who were treated with VAB-6 alone. Thus, this 6-month schedule of alternating months of chemotherapy is not recommended for patients with poor-risk GCTs. Patients with such tumors should be referred to centers conducting prospective trials, so that research seeking better therapy may continue.

VAB-6: an effective chemotherapy regimen for patients with germ-cell tumors

One hundred sixty-six patients with germ-cell tumors (GCT) of the testis, retroperitoneum, and mediastinum were treated with cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, bleomycin, dactinomycin, and cisplatin (VAB-6), with and without maintenance chemotherapy. The overall complete response (CR) rate was 78%, 67% to chemotherapy alone, and 11% after chemotherapy and resection of viable residual cancer. The CR rate in all patients with seminoma was uniformly high, while the CR rate of patients with testicular nonseminomatous germ-cell tumors (79%) was superior to that of similar tumors of extragonadal origin (60%). The overall relapse rate was 12%, and was greater in tumors of extragonadal origin (21%) than in those of testicular origin (11%). Three relapses occurred after 2 years. Maintenance chemotherapy did not prolong either relapse-free or total survival. Toxicity was tolerable, and there were no treatment deaths. No Raynaud's phenomena have occurred, with a minimum duration since start of therapy of 36 months. VAB-6 is an effective chemotherapy regimen in patients with GCT with no treatment-related deaths and a majority of patients requiring only 3 months of treatment.

Role of etoposide-based chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with refractory or relapsing germ cell tumors

Forty-nine patients with metastatic germ cell tumors were treated with etoposide 100 mg/m2 and cisplatin 20 mg/m2 intravenously each day for five days as "salvage" chemotherapy. Forty-seven patients had received standard induction regimens for metastatic germ cell tumors before receiving etoposide and cisplatin. Four patients were treated after surgical resection of a single site of relapse (Group I). Forty-five patients had measurable or evaluable disease at the time of treatment. In 17 patients with evaluable disease who had either achieved a prior complete remission or received no prior cisplatin (Group II), eight (47 percent) complete and four (24 percent) partial remission were observed. In 28 patients who had never achieved a prior complete remission (Group III), no complete and five (18 percent) partial responses were observed. Seven of 21 patients in Groups I and II and none of 28 patients in Group III remain alive and free of disease. Assuming prior treatment with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, these data and a review of the published experience with similar salvage regimens for patients with relapsing or refractory germ cell tumors suggest that combination chemotherapy based on etoposide and cisplatin is effective primarily in those patients who achieved a prior complete remission. Such therapy is ineffective in the absence of a prior complete remission probably because the patients have tumors that are largely resistant to cisplatin. Observed responses are probably due to etoposide alone. Investigational therapies should be pursued in those patients whose disease is refractory to current induction regimens.

VAB-6 as initial treatment of patients with advanced seminoma

Thirty patients with advanced seminoma were treated with VAB-6. Eighteen patients were previously untreated, eight had relapsed after radiation therapy, and four had persistent disease following chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Two patients had received prior high-dose cisplatin. Twenty-four (86%) of 28 evaluable patients achieved a complete remission. Four patients had relapsed. The median disease-free follow-up of patients achieving complete remission was 32+ months. VAB-6 is effective treatment for patients with advanced seminoma, and chemotherapy is recommended as the initial therapy in all patients with stage II seminoma with disease larger than 5 cm, extragonadal seminoma, and stage III seminoma.

Interstitial radiation: short-term palliation or curative therapy?

The management of clinically localized prostatic cancer by interstitial implantation of 125I seeds has been under exploration at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for thirteen years. This investigation was prompted by clinical evidence of the radioresponsiveness of some prostatic cancers, the limited applicability of surgical excision, and the possibility that interstitial therapy would have less of an adverse effect on the quality of life than would alternative treatments. Cumulative experience indicates that the technique is associated with low morbidity and mortality and high functional preservation rates; local control rates (routine biopsies were not done), within the constraints of still-limited follow-up intervals, are in the 80 per cent to 90 per cent range; and actuarial survival rates at nine years (including patients who received endocrine therapy for metastatic or intractable local disease) are approximately 90 per cent for T1, 60 per cent for T2, and 45 per cent for T3 lesions. Approximate actuarial nine-year survival rates are 80 per cent for all patients with negative nodes and 50 per cent for all patients with positive nodes. Taking into account limitations of the data and the hazards of comparing this therapy with other uncontrolled treatments, 125I appears to be a therapeutic option for the control of clinically localized prostatic cancer.

VP-16-213 and cisplatin in the treatment of patients with refractory germ cell tumors

Twenty-two patients with progressive or relapsing germ cell tumors and one patient without prior treatment received VP-16-213 (etoposide) 100 mg/m2 on days 1-5 and cisplatin 20 mg/m2 days 1-5 every 4 weeks. Three complete remissions and one partial remission were seen in five patients who previously achieved a complete remission to a cisplatin-based regimen. A partial remission was observed in a previously untreated patient with widely metastatic extragonadal choriocarcinoma. No complete remissions and two partial remissions were seen in 14 patients who did not achieve a previous complete remission to cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Four patients remain free of disease, including one complete responder and three patients treated after resection of a solitary recurrence. Myelosuppression was universal and two very heavily pretreated patients died with leukopenia and presumed infection. VP-16-213 plus cisplatin may be an effective salvage regimen for patients relapsing after a complete remission, but is probably ineffective if the patient has not achieved a prior complete remission.

VAB-6 combination chemotherapy in resected stage II-B testis cancer

Twenty-four patients with resected Stage II-B nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis received adjuvant chemotherapy with the modified VAB-6 regimen for one year. Eighteen patients had nodal category N2B and six nodal category N3 (extranodal extension of tumor). Adjuvant VAB-6 started with two four day inductions at approximately four week intervals. Induction was cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 IV, vinblastine 4 mg/m2 IV, dactinomycin 1 mg/m2 IV, bleomycin 30 mg IV on day 1, then bleomycin 20 mg/m2/day by continuous 24 hour infusion for three days, and cis-platinum 120 mg/m2 IV on day 4. Maintenance was vinblastine 6 mg/m2 IV and dactinomycin 1 mg/m2 IV every three weeks. Six patients received a third induction but without bleomycin. All 24 patients remain free of disease with a median follow up of 24 months. Myelosuppression was the major toxicity. Four patients received antibiotics for fever during myelosuppression. In one patient, serum creatinine temporarily rose over 2 mg/dl after cis-platinum. VAB-6 is effective in the prevention of recurrences in resected Stage II-B nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. However, the optimal regimen remains to be defined.

Intravenous cisplatin for superficial bladder tumors

Cisplatin, 1.25 mg/kg IV QM, was administered to 15 patients with recurrent flat carcinoma in situ and/or bladder tumors confined to the mucosa and lamina propria. All patients had a history of multiple transurethral resection and 4 had received prior irradiation and two prior intravesical thiophosphoramide. Response was evaluated by urinary cytologic findings, cystoscopy and biopsy. Of 14 adequately treated cases, four (28%) had disappearance of all visible lesions, cystoscopically, for a median of eight months (range, 8-18), and six exhibited transiently a greater than 50% decrease in the number of tumors. However, no patient demonstrated a complete remission--all had persistently positive urinary cytologies. Nausea and vomiting, even at this dose level, was significant and at times, severe. Cisplatin, in the dose and schedule used, was found to be ineffective in controlling low-stage bladder tumors.

Adjuvant vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and cis-platinum chemotherapy regimen with and without maintenance in patients with resected stage IIB testis cancer

A total of 42 patients with stage IIB nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis after orchiectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection received adjuvant chemotherapy with the modified vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and cis-platinum regimen. Of the patients 29 had N2B and 13 had N3 nodal categories. Adjuvant vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and cis-platinum chemotherapy was given with maintenance in the first 24 patients and without maintenance (2 months of chemotherapy) in the subsequent 18. Chemotherapy with maintenance was given for 1 year and began with 2 inductions 3 to 4 weeks apart: 600 mg./m.2 intravenous cyclophosphamide, 30 mg. intravenous bleomycin, 1 mg./m.2 intravenous actinomycin D and 4 mg./m.2 intravenous vinblastine on day 1, 20 mg./m.2 bleomycin daily by continuous 24-hour induction on days 1 to 3 and 120 mg./m.2 intravenous cis-platinum with mannitol-induced diuresis on day 4. Maintenance with 6 mg./m.2 intravenous vinblastine and 1 mg./m.2 intravenous actinomycin D every 3 weeks was initiated 3 weeks after the second induction for the remainder of the year. Adjuvant vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and cis-platinum chemotherapy without maintenance was given for 2 months and used 3 inductions identical to those described previously. Complete remission has been maintained in 41 of 42 patients: all 24 who received maintenance chemotherapy and 17 of 18 who did not. One patient had a relapse with sarcoma and 6 required broad-spectrum antibiotics for fever during myelosuppression. A temporary increase in the serum creatinine of more than 2 mg. per cent occurred in 1 patient. Chronic renal failure or pulmonary fibrosis was not seen. Our results show that vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide and cis-platinum chemotherapy is effective in the prevention of recurrences in patients with resected stage IIB disease, and suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy is equally effective with or without maintenance.

Intravesical cisplatin for superficial bladder tumors

Cisplatin, 50-150 mg in a maximum concentration of 1 mg/ml, was administered intravesically each week to 24 patients with multiple, recurrent carcinoma in situ and/or bladder tumors confined to the mucosa and lamina propria. All patients had a history of multiple transurethral resections and four had received prior chemotherapy. Response was evaluated by urinary cytology, cystoscopy, and biopsy. In a total of 237 weekly doses, toxicities included mild dysuria, pruritus, rash and in one patient, acute anaphylaxis. Only three (13%) patients were classified as achieving complete remission. Cisplatin, in the dose and schedule employed, is ineffective in controlling superficial bladder cancer.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with VAB-3 of stage II-B testicular cancer

A recent report from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has indicated that patients with resected Stage IIB (N-2B and N-3) testicular cancer are at significant risk for relapse. Of patients with resected Stage IIB disease (N-2B, 19%; N-3, 54%), 34% relapsed after having undergone relatively mild adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, and chlorambucil (VAB). In this study, 29 patients with resected Stage IIB testicular cancer underwent treatment with adjuvant VAB-3 which has been used as primary treatment for Stage III disease. All patients have remained in complete remission with a median follow-up time of 24 months. Three patients received broad spectrum antibiotics when fever and leukopenia developed. No patient experienced renal failure. The results of this study demonstrate the capability of aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy to prevent recurrence in the high-risk setting of resected Stage II (N-2B and N-3) disease. Optimal adjuvant treatment remains to be defined.

Adjuvant chemotherapy combination of vinblastine, actinomycin D, Bleomycin, and Chlorambucil following retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for stage II testis tumor

In an attempt to reduce recurrence of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of testis stage II, 62 patients were treated with vinblastine, actinomycin D, bleomycin, and chlorambucil after retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Of the patients, 84% have remained in complete remission with median follow-up of three years: 33/33 stage II-A (N-1,N-2A) and 19/29 (66%) stage II-B (N-2B,N3). The relapse rate in patients who had histologic evidence of extranodal extension of the tumor (N-3) was 54% (7/13). This program did not cause any serious toxicity. Adjuvant chemotherapy is effective in reducing relapses. More recently, with the current availability of chemotherapy with a high efficacy for control of disseminated disease, patients with resected stage II-A (N-1,N2A) have been followed closely and treated only if they developed evidence of recurrence. Patients with resected stage II-B (N-2B,N-3) have been placed on a more aggressive adjuvant program.

Flow cytometry in bladder cancer detection and evaluation using acridine orange metachromatic nucleic acid staining of irrigation cytology specimens

A new technique for simultaneous multiparameter deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid and nuclear size measurements by flow cytometry was applied to the examination of bladder irrigation cytology specimens from 107 urologic patients. The cell samples from patients with bladder carcinoma could be distinguished from normal by 2 features: 1) an increase in the proportion of bladder epithelial cells with more than diploid deoxyribonucleic acid and 2) aneuploid cell peaks. These criteria identified 12 of 13 cases of invasive carcinoma, 24 of 28 cases of carcinoma in situ and 11 of 13 cases of papillary carcinoma. An increased proportion of cells with more than diploid deoxyribonucleic acid or aneuploidy was found in 9 of 14 patients with papilloma and 6 of 19 patients with a history of bladder tumors but no evident disease at present--these were believed owing to increased epithelial proliferative rates or nuclear chromatin abnormalities not visible by light microscopy. None of the 20 patients who had never had bladder tumors was abnormal. While the results in this small clinical trial have been most encouraging an additional descriptor of nuclear chromatin structure is believed necessary to discriminate benign, reactive proliferative epithelium from neoplasm when the latter is near diploid or shedding few cells. Studies to develop such a parameter presently are under way.

A critical analysis of response criteria in patients with prostatic cancer treated with cis-diamminedichloride platinum II

Cis-diamminedichloride platinum II (DDP), 50--70 mg/m2 iv, q 3w was administered to 25 patients with Stage D adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Since the assessment of tumor regression in a disease-oriented phase II study demands a clear end-point of response, case selection was restricted to patients who had objectively measurable lesions, i.e., nodes, skin, lung, and liver metastasis. Partial remission occurred in 3 (12%) and stabilization of disease in 1 patient. Responders lived 53 weeks vs. 20 weeks for non-responders. In the dosage and schedule used in this protocol, DDP was not an active agent in the treatment of prostatic cancer. Various patient characteristics are examined and correlations made between remission rates and survival in this study vs. 4 other response schemata. A critical analysis of patient selection, "lead time" -- diagnosis to chemotherapy, and the definitions of the terms "measurable" lesions, "evaluable" parameters, "objective response", stabilization of disease and response criteria employed in the 4 schemata are also discussed.