title: Salvage Therapy for Patients With Germ Cell Tumor.
abstract: The introduction of cisplatin combination chemotherapy, 40 years ago, transformed metastatic testicular germ cell tumors from an almost uniformly fatal disease into a model for a curable neoplasm. Before the era of platinum combination chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate among men with metastatic testicular germ cell tumors was 5% to 10%. Currently, the 5-year survival rate is 80% for patients with metastatic disease and 95% overall. Despite the substantial advances in the treatment of germ cell tumors, 20% to 30% of patients will relapse after first-line chemotherapy and will require additional salvage therapies. Standard-dose or high-dose chemotherapy can cure ≤ 50% of these patients. Relapses after high-dose chemotherapy generally carry a poor prognosis; however, cure is still possible in a small percentage of patients by using further salvage chemotherapy or salvage surgery.
authors.affiliation: Melvin Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN srashdan@iu.edu.
authors.forename: Sawsan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rashdan
authors.affiliation: Melvin Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Einhorn
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*