Salvage chemotherapy with docetaxel, ifosfamide and nedaplatin (DIN) for patients with advanced germ cell tumors: a preliminary report.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the efficacy and toxicity of a docetaxel, ifosfamide and nedaplatin regimen as salvage therapy for patients with advanced testicular germ cell tumor.
METHODS: Eleven patients with advanced germ cell tumor refractory or relapsed after cisplatin-based chemotherapy were treated using docetaxel, ifosfamide and nedaplatin. The docetaxel, ifosfamide and nedaplatin regimen comprised docetaxel (75 mg/m(2)) on Day 1, ifosfamide (2 g/m(2)) on Days 1-3 and nedaplatin (75 mg/m(2)) on Day 2 of a 3-week cycle.
RESULTS: Ten (91%) of the 11 patients achieved favorable responses, including complete response in one case and partial response in nine cases. Nine (81%) of the 11 patients have continued to show no evidence of disease after docetaxel, ifosfamide and nedaplatin therapy followed by subsequent surgical resection, with a median follow-up period of 52 months. One patient died of the disease 3 months after completing docetaxel, ifosfamide and nedaplatin chemotherapy. One patient was lost to follow-up with a status of alive with disease. Ten (91%) of the 11 patients developed Grade 4 leukopenia, which was managed using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. No patients developed sensory neuropathy or renal dysfunction.
CONCLUSIONS: The docetaxel, ifosfamide and nedaplatin regimen was efficacious and well-tolerated as salvage chemotherapy for patients with advanced germ cell tumor.