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Cancer Resources > Cancer News > Cancer News from Reuters > Reuters Cancer News > 2006 > December

Cisplatin and epirubicin combat germ cell tumors

David Douglas

Last Updated: 2006-12-21 15:40:03 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cisplatin along with epirubicin appears to be an effective means of therapy for certain patients with metastatic germ cell tumors, researchers report in the December 1st issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The findings "have established cisplatin-epirubicin as one more alternative in the treatment of refractory germ cell tumors," lead investigator Dr. Pablo M. Bedano told Reuters Health.

This is especially so, he added, "in the cases that have failed first-line salvage therapy, or together with surgery in those tumors that have come back 2 years or more after their initial treatment."

Dr. Bedano of Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis and colleagues came to this conclusion after studying 30 male patients with a median age of 36 years. All had metastatic germ cell tumors not amenable to cure with standard salvage therapy. Twenty-one had experienced relapses at more than 2 years after their initial treatment.

Patients received a maximum of four treatment cycles. These consisted of epirubicin on day 1 and cisplatin on days 1 to 5 every 3 weeks. In all, 19 of the patients received 4 treatment cycles.

Nine patients achieved a complete remission, 2 did so with chemotherapy alone. In all, 7 patients have remained without evidence of disease at from more than 25 months to more than 48 months. One patient remains alive with stable pulmonary nodules at more than 18 months.

Toxicity was primarily hematologic and involved neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia. Nonhematologic toxicity included acute renal failure in two patients and electrolyte wasting in another two. However, there were no occurrences of severe mucositis, cardiotoxicity, or treatment-related deaths.

The researchers therefore conclude the regimen has an acceptable toxicity profile and "offers potential for long-term disease-free survival in this population."

J Clin Oncol 2006;24:5403-5407.

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