Chemotherapy for good-risk germ cell tumors: current concepts and controversies.
Through a series of well-designed randomized clinical trials, the treatment of patients with cisplatin-based chemotherapy has evolved such that approximately 90% of patients who have good-risk metastatic germ cell tumor (GCT) will be cured of their disease. At present, first-line chemotherapy for patients who have good-risk metastatic GCT is three cycles of bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin. An alternative to this is four cycles of etoposide/cisplatin. This article examines the progress that has been made in the development of chemotherapy for good-risk metastatic GCT and raises questions for further consideration and investigation.
Vaughn
David J
DJ
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA. david.vaughn@uphs.upenn.edu
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001761:Bleomycin; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin