PURPOSE: Germ cell tumors are uniquely chemosensitive and curable, even with advanced metastatic disease. Central nervous system recurrence can terminate a complete remission in other chemosensitive tumors, such as small cell lung cancer, because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We propose to document that the BBB is also relevant in germ cell tumors despite their dramatic chemosensitivity. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We present five cases illustrating the concept of the BBB in patients with metastatic testicular cancer treated with chemotherapy. RESULTS: In our large series of patients with metastatic testicular cancer treated with chemotherapy, we identified 5 unique patients. These patients were rendered free of disease only to experience relapse in the brain alone. This included 1 patient who initially had good-risk metastatic disease by means of the International Germ Cell Collaborative Group staging system at the onset of chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The BBB is relevant in patients with metastatic testicular cancer.
PURPOSE: Germ cell tumors are uniquely chemosensitive and curable, even with advanced metastatic disease. Central nervous system recurrence can terminate a complete remission in other chemosensitive tumors, such as small cell lung cancer, because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We propose to document that the BBB is also relevant in germ cell tumors despite their dramatic chemosensitivity. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We present five cases illustrating the concept of the BBB in patients with metastatic testicular cancer treated with chemotherapy. RESULTS: In our large series of patients with metastatic testicular cancer treated with chemotherapy, we identified 5 unique patients. These patients were rendered free of disease only to experience relapse in the brain alone. This included 1 patient who initially had good-risk metastatic disease by means of the International Germ Cell Collaborative Group staging system at the onset of chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The BBB is relevant in patients with metastatic testicular cancer.
Authors: Lori Wood; Christian Kollmannsberger; Michael Jewett; Peter Chung; Sebastian Hotte; Martin O'Malley; Joan Sweet; Lynn Anson-Cartwright; Eric Winquist; Scott North; Scott Tyldesley; Jeremy Sturgeon; Mary Gospodarowicz; Roanne Segal; Tina Cheng; Peter Venner; Malcolm Moore; Peter Albers; Robert Huddart; Craig Nichols; Padraig Warde Journal: Can Urol Assoc J Date: 2010-04 Impact factor: 1.862