title: Salvage high-dose chemotherapy for children with extragonadal germ-cell tumours.
abstract: We reviewed the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) experience with salvage high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) in paediatric patients with extragonadal germ-cell tumour (GCT). A total of 23 children with extragonadal GCT, median age 12 years (range 1-20), were treated with salvage HDC with haematopoietic progenitor cell support. The GCT primary location was intracranial site in nine cases, sacrococcyx in eight, retroperitoneum in four, and mediastinum in two. In all, 22 patients had a nongerminomatous GCT and one germinoma. Nine patients received HDC in first- and 14 in second- or third-relapse situation. No toxic deaths occurred. Overall, 16 of 23 patients (70%) achieved a complete remission. With a median follow-up of 66 months (range 31-173 months), 10 (43%) are continuously disease-free. Of six patients who had a disease recurrence after HDC, one achieved a disease-free status with surgical resection followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In total, 11 patients (48%) are currently disease-free. Eight of 14 patients (57%) with extracranial primary and three of nine patients (33%) with intracranial primary GCT are currently disease-free. HDC induced impressive long-term remissions as salvage treatment in children with extragonadal extracranial GCTs. Salvage HDC should be investigated in prospective trials in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Romagnolo-Department of Oncology/Haematology, Santa Maria delle Croci Hospital, Ravenna, Italy. ugo_degiorgi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: De Giorgi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slavin
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yaniv
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Harousseau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ladenstein
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demirer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016208:Databases, Factual; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy