title: Treatment of metastatic germ-cell tumors in men with adriamycin, vincristine, and bleomycin.
abstract: Twenty-five patients with metastatic germ-cell tumors were treated with a combination of adriamycin, vincristine, and bleomycin. Fifteen patients (60%) had previously received radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or both. Twenty patients (80%) responded to treatment, with eight (32%) patients achieving a complete remission (CR) and 12 (48%) patients achieving a partial remission (PR). The median duration of response for the patients with PR was 4 months, whereas four patients with a CR remain alive without evidence of disease for greater than 3 years after the initiation of treatment. Responses were observed in all tumor categories and apparently were not influenced by prior therapy. Side effects included gastrointestinal toxicity, alopecia, neuropathy, skin changes, mucositis, and myelosuppression (more severe in previously treated patients). Though moderate success was demonstrated for this chemotherapy regimen, it does not appear as effective as more recent regimens including vinblastine and bleomycin.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004407:Dysgerminoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001761:Bleomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin