High dose chemotherapy and stem cell support for poor risk and recurrent nonseminomatous germ cell cancer: initial experience with sequential therapy.
BACKGROUND
Approximately 20% of patients with germ cell tumours do not respond fully to standard therapy, or relapse after treatment. The prognosis of these patients is poor with conventional chemotherapy. Preliminary data suggest that they may have a higher durable response rate with high dose chemotherapy and peripheral blood stem cell support.


OBJECTIVE
To treat a group of testicular cancer patients, either with relapsed disease or with poor prognostic features initially, with high dose chemotherapy and stem cell support, and evaluate their outcome.


METHODS
Five patients with testicular cancer were treated with high dose chemotherapy and stem cell support. Of these, four underwent this treatment as salvage therapy and one patient with poor prognostic features was treated as primary treatment.


RESULTS
At an average follow-up of 18 months, four patients remain free of disease while one patient has developed relapse.


CONCLUSIONS
This report provides further support for high dose chemotherapy in this setting although randomised, controlled trials are essential to clarify its use.
Hennessy
B
B
Department of Medical Oncology, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. bryanhen@gofree.indigo.ie
McCaffrey
J A
JA
Daly
P
P
Browne
P
P
Kennedy
M J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018237:Germinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*
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