Maintaining success, reducing treatment burden, focusing on survivorship: highlights from the third European consensus conference on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer

In November 2011, the Third European Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Germ-Cell Cancer (GCC) was held in Berlin, Germany. This third conference followed similar meetings in 2003 (Essen, Germany) and 2006 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) [Schmoll H-J, Souchon R, Krege S et al. European consensus on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer: a report of the European Germ-Cell Cancer Consensus Group (EGCCCG). Ann Oncol 2004; 15: 1377-1399; Krege S, Beyer J, Souchon R et al. European consensus conference on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer: a report of the second meeting of the European Germ-Cell Cancer Consensus group (EGCCCG): part I. Eur Urol 2008; 53: 478-496; Krege S, Beyer J, Souchon R et al. European consensus conference on diagnosis and treatment of germ-cell cancer: a report of the second meeting of the European Germ-Cell Cancer Consensus group (EGCCCG): part II. Eur Urol 2008; 53: 497-513]. A panel of 56 of 60 invited GCC experts from all across Europe discussed all aspects on diagnosis and treatment of GCC, with a particular focus on acute and late toxic effects as well as on survivorship issues. The panel consisted of oncologists, urologic surgeons, radiooncologists, pathologists and basic scientists, who are all actively involved in care of GCC patients. Panelists were chosen based on the publication activity in recent years. Before the meeting, panelists were asked to review the literature published since 2006 in 20 major areas concerning all aspects of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of GCC patients, and to prepare an updated version of the previous recommendations to be discussed at the conference. In addition, ∼50 E-vote questions were drafted and presented at the conference to address the most controversial areas for a poll of expert opinions. Here, we present the main recommendations and controversies of this meeting. The votes of the panelists are added as online supplements.

Association between radiographic response and overall survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer receiving chemotherapy

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Background: In men with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC),the association of measurable tumor responses with overall survival (OS) is unknown. We retrospectively evaluated the TAX327 phase III trial to study this relationship.

Methods: Eligible patients for this analysis included those with WHO-defined measurable metastatic disease randomized to receive either docetaxel or mitoxantrone. OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the prognostic relationship of WHO-defined radiologic response with OS was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Landmark analyses evaluated survival from baseline and 2, 3, 4 and 6 months after baseline.

Results: Four hundred and twelve patients enrolled on the TAX327 trial had measurable tumors. Thirty-seven patients exhibited a complete or partial objective response (CR/PR, 9.0%), 116 had stable disease (SD, 28.2%), 99 had progressive disease (PD,24%) and 160 (38.8%) did not have a post-baseline objective assessment. Partial responders demonstrated longer median OS (29.0 months) than patients with SD (22.1 months), or those with PD (10.8 months) or those who were not assessed (12.7 months). These results remained after landmark analysis. We found a significant association between ≥30% PSA declines and radiologic response, with ≥30% PSA declines occurring in all patients with CR/PR, 79.8% of patients with SD and 34.4% with PD. Radiologic response remained a significant but modest post-treatment prognostic factor for OS after adjusting for treatment, pain-response and ≥30% PSA-decline (p=0.009).

Conclusions: In men with metastatic CRPC and measurable disease receiving chemotherapy, objective tumor response was prognostic for OS, and appears to complement PSA assessment.

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A randomized phase III study comparing standard dose BEP with sequential high-dose cisplatin, etoposide, and ifosfamide (VIP) plus stem-cell support in males with poor-prognosis germ-cell cancer. An intergroup study of EORTC, GTCSG, and Grupo Germinal (EORTC 30974)

BACKGROUND

To compare the efficacy of one cycle of standard dose cisplatin, etoposide, and ifosfamide (VIP) plus three cycles of high-dose VIP followed by stem-cell infusion [high-dose chemotherapy (HD-CT arm)] to four cycles of standard cisplatin, etoposide, and bleomycin (BEP) in patients with poor-prognosis germ-cell cancer (GCC).

PATIENT AND METHODS

Patients with poor-prognosis GCC were assigned to receive either BEP or VIP followed by HD-CT. To show a 15% improvement in a 1-year failure-free survival (FFS), the study aimed to recruit 222 patients but closed with 137, due to slow accrual.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-one patients were included in this analysis. The complete response rates in the HD-CT and in the BEP arm did not differ: (intention to treat) 44.6% versus 33.3% (P = 0.18). There was no difference in FFS between the two treatment arms (P = 0.057, 66 events). At 2 years, the FFS rate was 44.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 32.5-56.4] and 58.2%, respectively (95% CI 48.0-71.9); but this 16.3% (standard deviation 7.5%) difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.060). Overall survival did not differ between the two groups (log-rank P > 0.1, 47 deaths).

CONCLUSION

This study could not demonstrate that high-dose chemotherapy given as part of first-line therapy improves outcome in patients with poor-prognosis GCC.

Association of pain and quality of life (QOL) response with PSA response and survival of patients (pts) with metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer (mHRPC) treated with docetaxel or mitoxantrone in the TAX-327 study

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Background: The TAX-327 study compared 3 weekly docetaxel (D3), weekly docetaxel (D1) or mitoxantrone (M), each with prednisone (P) for 1006 pts with mHRPC. Survival and symptom control were superior following D3+P as compared to M+P (Tannock et al, NEJM 2004;351;1502–12). Here we investigate associations between pain and QOL response with PSA response and survival. Methods: Pts were evaluated for pain, PSA and QOL at baseline and 3 weekly during treatment. Pain response (pts with initial pain) was defined by ≥ 2-point reduction in Present Pain Intensity (PPI) with no increase in analgesic score (AS) or ≥ 50% in AS with no increase in PPI. PSA response required ≥ 50% reduction in PSA from baseline. QOL response required ≥ 16-point reduction in FACT-P score (range: 0–156). Responses were confirmed ≥ 3 weeks later. Results: There were414 pts assessable for both pain and PSA response: PSA response was seen in 52.4% of 124 pts with pain response and 28.3% of 290 pts without pain response (p < 0.001). There were 704 pts evaluable for both QOL and PSA response: PSA response occurred in 56.5% of 147 pts with QOL response and 37.5% of 557 pts without QOL response (p < 0.001). The table shows associations of pain or QOL response and survival. Landmark analysis will be presented at the meeting. After adjustment for PSA and QOL response, pain response was an independent predictor of survival (HR = 0.47, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Pain and QOL response were associated with PSA response and pain response was an independent predictor of survival.

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The value of MCA, CA 15-3, CEA and CA-125 for discrimination between metastatic breast cancer and adenocarcinoma of other primary sites

MCA, CA 15-3, CEA and CA 125 were determined in the serum of 49 patients with metastatic breast cancer and 38 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of other primary sites. By using the 99th percentile of the normal value distribution as the cut-off point, the positive predictive value (PV+) was found to be 85% (95% CI 76-94) for MCA, and 71% (95% CI 61-81) for CA 15-3. When receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed, the PV+ for CA 15-3 was increased to 82% (95% CI 72-92), using 60 U ml-1 as the cut-off point. With the exception of two patients who had a slightly elevated MCA, MCA and CA 15-3 identified the same patients with breast cancer. By combining a positive MCA or CA 15-3 with a negative CEA and CA 125, further improvement of the PV+ could be achieved; 100% (95% CI 91-100). We conclude that MCA and CA 15-3 may play a useful role in discrimination between patients with metastatic breast cancer and those with adenocarcinoma of other primary sites.