title: The importance of dose intensity in chemotherapy of advanced testicular cancer.
abstract: PVB regimen, the combination of cisplatin (CDDP), vinblastine (VLB) and bleomycin (BLM), has improved the treatment results of testicular cancer patients. However, modification of doses and schedules were strongly related with the treatment results. We analyzed the relative dose intensity (RDI) of each patient undergoing PVB regimen, in relation to the chemotherapeutic effect. In addition, a role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on dose intensity of PVB regimen was analyzed. During the period 1981-1992, 33 patients with testicular cancer were treated with PVB regimen. Among the 25 evaluable patients, 5 (20%) achieved a complete response (CR), 15 (60%) had a partial response (PR), and the overall response rate was 80%. The average 5-year survival rate of all cases was 78.4%. The RDI in CR and PR cases were significantly higher than nonresponders in BLM (0.89 for CR and 0.91 for PR against 0.32 for NC + PD) in the combination of the three drugs (1.05 for CR and 0.97 for PR against 0.69 for NC + PD). The standard-dose group (RDI > or = 0.9) had a higher survival rate than the modified-dose group (RDI < 0.9). The RDI of PVB regimen with administration of G-CSF was 0.98, whereas in the PVB-alone group it was 0.87 (p < 0.01). Our findings indicate that the RDI of BLM may be one of the most important factors in achieving a chemotherapeutic effect from the PVB regimen. G-CSF is useful for the completion of the schedule through the increase in dose intensification, and the prevention of leukocytopenia due to chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyanaga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akaza
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeshima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koiso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D014747:Vinblastine; D002945:Cisplatin