Advanced non-seminomatous germ cell cancer of the testis with brain metastases: feasibility of additional brain irradiation and whole body hyperthermia plus chemotherapy.

Patients with brain metastases in disseminated non-seminomatous germ cell cancer of the testis are treated by combined modality, e.g., cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, whole brain irradiation and/or surgical excision. However, cure rates of patients refractory to that standard treatment are low (5-year survival rate <30%). Preclinical data on the use of hyperthermia combined with selected cytotoxic drugs clearly show increased tumor cell killing compared to chemotherapy alone with no increase in toxicity to normal tissue. These results are consistent with the concept that whole body hyperthermia (WBH) at 41.8 degrees C is non-myelosuppressive and can potentiate the tumoricidal effects of specific chemotherapeutic agents, thus improving the therapeutic index. We report on a patient with embryonal testicular cancer presenting with lung, liver and brain metastases who initially underwent orchiectomy, whole brain irradiation and cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. Restaging revealed minor regression of brain and lung metastases and no change of liver metastases. However, beta-HCG values dropped from initial 400000 mIU/ml to 12 mIU/ml with a normal alpha-fetoprotein all the time. Then, two cycles of whole body hyperthermia (WBH) plus chemotherapy were performed, followed by one cycle of chemotherapy without WBH. Radiotherapy, WBH and chemotherapy were well tolerated, especially no neurologic sequelae occurred. After more than 5 years of follow-up, the patient is still alive and disease-free. WBH plus chemotherapy seems to be feasible and may contribute to long-term survival in patients with advanced stages of non-seminomatous germ cell cancer refractory to standard treatment.