title: Cisplatin, vinblastine and bleocin in the treatment of disseminated testicular cancer.
abstract: Fifty-nine stage IV disseminated testicular cancer patients underwent 5 or more courses of cisplatin, vinblastine and bleocin (PVB) chemotherapy from August 1981 to July 1989. Tumour histology included 15 seminomas, 13 embryonal carcinomas, 13 teratocarcinomas and 18 mixed tumours. Thirty-four patients (58%) achieved complete remission with an average duration of 56+ months (range 3 to 113+), and 12 patients (20%) achieved partial remission with an average duration of 8.5 months (range 2 to 33). The overall response rate was 78%. Four patients achieved complete remission after adjunctive surgery. The best response was obtained in seminoma patients (73% complete remission). The 5-year survival is 88% for complete responders, 10% for partial responders, and 53% overall. The PVB combination has considerably improved the survival of disseminated testicular cancer patients, but the low survival rate in poor-risk patients necessitates more aggressive chemotherapy regimens.
authors.affiliation: National Oncological Center, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Koynov
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Tzekova
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Velikova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018198:Mixed Tumor, Malignant / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D018239:Seminoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate; D018243:Teratocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D014747:Vinblastine; D002945:Cisplatin