Successful treatment of good-risk disseminated testicular cancer with cisplatin, bleomycin, and reduced-dose vinblastine.
Cisplatin, vinblastine and bleomycin (PVB) is very effective therapy in disseminated testicular cancer, but toxicity is severe. A further reduction of vinblastine might reduce the acute toxicity of PVB without compromising the response rate in good-risk patients. Starting in March 1982, 42 consecutive patients with minimal or intermediate advanced disease (lymph node metastases less than 10 cm, lung nodules less than 5 cm) began a 0.2-mg/kg vinblastine PVB regimen, provided that serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were not greater than 1000 ng/ml and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) values were not greater than 50,000 mIU/ml. Only 9 patients (21.4%) had leukocyte counts less than 1000/mm3, 6 (14%) had infections, but none had documented sepsis. Gastrointestinal and neuromuscular toxicities were mild. Of the 42 patients, 41 (97.6%) entered complete remission (CR), 8 with surgery. After a median follow-up period of 26 months (range, 19-40 months), 35 patients (83.3%) are continuously disease-free. Of the 6 patients with AFP levels greater than 400 ng/ml and/or HCG values greater than 1000 mIU/ml, only 2 (33.3%) entered continuous CR, versus 33 (91.6%) of the 36 patients with normal or less elevated markers (P less than 0.01). PVB with a 0.2-mg/kg vinblastine dosage is very effective and well-tolerated therapy in selected good-risk patients with disseminated germinal testis cancer.
Pizzocardo
G
G
Salvioni
R
R
Zanoni
F
F
Milani
A
A
Piva
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D001761:Bleomycin; D014747:Vinblastine; D002945:Cisplatin