title: Advanced extragonadal germ-cell tumors. Successful treatment with combination chemotherapy.
abstract: Thirty-two patients with primary extragonadal germ-cell tumors were treated at Vanderbilt and Indiana University Hospitals during the period from 1967 to 1981. Thirty-one patients had far-advanced disease when treatment was begun. All patients received intensive cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy regimens. Tumors remaining after chemotherapy were surgically removed when feasible. Of the 31 evaluable patients, 18 have been continuously disease-free after therapy, 21 patients had a complete remission; the remaining 10 had partial response. Eighty-nine percent of patients with complete remission remain free of disease after median follow-up of 30 months. No relapses occurred after 12 months of complete remission. Patients with partial response had a median survival of 9 months with no long-term survivors. Response rates and survival are similar to patients with advanced-stage testicular germ-cell tumors. Extragonadal germ-cell tumors are as curable as testicular germ-cell tumors when treated with intensive cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy regimens, and surgical resection when necessary.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D014747:Vinblastine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin