title: Chemotherapy of disseminated germ cell tumors.
abstract: The success of management of germ cell tumors puts an extraordinary burden on the physician and health care system to assure that cure is achieved in all patients except the small proportion that present with advanced refractory disease. New prognostic systems can define groups of patients who have excellent outcomes with treatment and a group of patients for whom treatment less reliably results in cure. Good risk disseminated disease should be treated with three cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin, whereas those with more advanced disease should receive four cycles. Postchemotherapy resection of residual disease is commonly required. In patients who recur after primary chemotherapy, salvage treatments can result in cure in 30% to 40% of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Oregon Cancer Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland 97201, USA.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Nichols
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018237:Germinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin