Update on late relapse of germ cell tumor: a clinical and molecular analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Analysis of patients with late relapse (LR) of germ cell tumor (GCT) with reports on clinical characteristics, outcomes, and molecular and cytogenetic features.


METHODS
Eighty-three patients evaluated at Indiana University from 1993 through 2000 for relapse of GCT more than 2 years from initial therapy were reviewed. Available specimens were investigated for expression of the transcription regulator FoxD3 and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease and the presence of chromosome 12 abnormalities.


RESULTS
Median interval from initial presentation to LR was 85 months. Forty-three of 49 LR patients who underwent surgery were rendered disease free (NED), and 20 (46.5%) remain continuously NED. Thirty-two patients received chemotherapy, but only six (18.8%) obtained a complete remission. Five of these patients remain continuously NED after chemotherapy alone, including three who were chemotherapy naïve. Eighteen of these 32 patients were successfully rendered NED by postchemotherapy surgery, and 12 remain continuously NED. Two patients continue on observation with no treatment for their LR. Overall, 69 of the 81 treated patients (85.2%) ultimately achieved an NED state, and 38 (46.9%) remain continuously NED with median follow-up from LR therapy of 24.5 months (range, 1 to 83 months), whereas nine other patients are currently NED after therapy for subsequent relapses. Because of the small numbers of specimens tested, we were unable to draw any definitive conclusions from the molecular and cytogenetic analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
GCT patients require lifetime follow-up. At the time of LR, surgical resection alone remains our preferred therapy.
George
David W
DW
Department of Medicine, and Section of Hematology/Oncology, Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Foster
Richard S
RS
Hromas
Robert A
RA
Robertson
Kent A
KA
Vance
Gail H
GH
Ulbright
Thomas M
TM
Gobbett
Troy A
TA
Heiber
Devan J
DJ
Heerema
Nyla A
NA
Ramsey
Heather C
HC
Thurston
Virginia C
VC
Jung
Sin-Ho
SH
Shen
Jianzhao
J
Finch
David E
DE
Kelley
Mark R
MR
Einhorn
Lawrence H
LH
D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002881:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018237:Germinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012008:Recurrence; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase