title: High-dose carboplatin and etoposide for salvage chemotherapy of germ cell tumours.
abstract: We evaluated high-dose carboplatin and etoposide with autologous bone marrow stem cell support in the salvage treatment of patients with metastatic germ cell tumours who had failed previous chemotherapy. The treatment programme comprised initial conventional dose chemotherapy. 23 patients received a first cycle of high-dose treatment, and 12 who showed no evidence of progression had a second cycle 2-3 months later. 8 of the 23 patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy are alive in remission 4-29 months from the start of high-dose treatment. 3 of these 8 required further treatment for recurrence. In the initial part of the study, the dose of carboplatin was escalated in successive patients. Grade 3/4 treatment-related toxicity occurred in 4 of 18 patients (1 fatal) who received carboplatin doses to give a AUC (area under the serum concentration/time curve) of 30 mg.min/ml or less and 3 of 5 patients (2 fatal) who received higher doses. We, therefore, recommend 30 mg.min/ml for further evaluation in chemotherapy sensitive patients.
authors.affiliation: Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, U.K.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lampe
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Dearnaley
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Powles
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horwich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin