PURPOSE: To offer minimized risk-adapted adjuvant treatment on a nationwide basis for patients with clinical stage 1 (CS1) nonseminomatous germ-cell testicular cancer (NSGCT). The aim was to reduce the risk of relapse and thereby reducing the need of later salvage chemotherapy while maintaining a high cure rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1998 to 2005, 745 Norwegian and Swedish patients were included into a prospective, community-based multicenter Swedish and Norwegian Testicular Cancer Project (SWENOTECA) management program. Treatment strategy depended on the presence or absence of vascular tumor invasion (VASC). VASC-positive patients were recommended brief adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP), whereas VASC-negative patients could choose between ACT and surveillance. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 4.7 years, there have been 51 relapses. On surveillance, 41.7% of VASC+ patients relapsed, compared with 13.2% of VASC- patients. After one course of BEP, 3.2% of VASC+ and 1.3% of VASC- patients relapsed. The toxicity of adjuvant BEP was low. Eight patients have died, none died from progressive disease. CONCLUSION: One course of adjuvant BEP reduces the risk of relapse by approximately 90% in both VASC+ and VASC- CS1 NSGCT, and may be a new option as initial treatment for all CS1 NSGCT. One course of adjuvant BEP for VASC+ CS1 reduces the total burden of chemotherapy compared with surveillance or two courses of BEP. SWENOTECA currently recommends one course of BEP as standard treatment of VASC+ CS1 NSGCT, whereas both surveillance and one course of BEP are options for VASC- CS1 NSGCT.
PURPOSE: To offer minimized risk-adapted adjuvant treatment on a nationwide basis for patients with clinical stage 1 (CS1) nonseminomatous germ-cell testicular cancer (NSGCT). The aim was to reduce the risk of relapse and thereby reducing the need of later salvage chemotherapy while maintaining a high cure rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1998 to 2005, 745 Norwegian and Swedish patients were included into a prospective, community-based multicenter Swedish and Norwegian Testicular Cancer Project (SWENOTECA) management program. Treatment strategy depended on the presence or absence of vascular tumor invasion (VASC). VASC-positive patients were recommended brief adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP), whereas VASC-negative patients could choose between ACT and surveillance. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 4.7 years, there have been 51 relapses. On surveillance, 41.7% of VASC+ patients relapsed, compared with 13.2% of VASC- patients. After one course of BEP, 3.2% of VASC+ and 1.3% of VASC- patients relapsed. The toxicity of adjuvant BEP was low. Eight patients have died, none died from progressive disease. CONCLUSION: One course of adjuvant BEP reduces the risk of relapse by approximately 90% in both VASC+ and VASC- CS1 NSGCT, and may be a new option as initial treatment for all CS1 NSGCT. One course of adjuvant BEP for VASC+ CS1 reduces the total burden of chemotherapy compared with surveillance or two courses of BEP. SWENOTECA currently recommends one course of BEP as standard treatment of VASC+ CS1 NSGCT, whereas both surveillance and one course of BEP are options for VASC- CS1 NSGCT.
Authors: Manuel S Eisenberg; John C Cheville; R Houston Thompson; Dharam Kaushik; Christine M Lohse; Stephen A Boorjian; Brian A Costello; Bradley C Leibovich Journal: J Urol Date: 2013-01-23 Impact factor: 7.450
Authors: Marianne Brydøy; Jan Oldenburg; Olbjørn Klepp; Roy M Bremnes; Erik A Wist; Tore Wentzel-Larsen; Erik R Hauge; Olav Dahl; Sophie D Fosså Journal: J Natl Cancer Inst Date: 2009-12-16 Impact factor: 13.506