PURPOSE: To determine the therapeutic results in advanced germ cell tumor (GCT) patients with initial human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) elevation greater than 50,000 mIU/mL and to document the levels of hCG decline and subsequent plateau and outcome of this patient population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 41 patients who presented to Indiana University (IU) with hCG levels greater than 50,000 mIU/mL between December 1976 and August 1996. All patients had received cisplatin-containing regimens and were monitored with serial hCG levels. RESULTS: Twenty-two of 41 (53.7%) patients continuously show no evidence of disease (NED) and eight additional patients (19.5%) are currently NED with salvage therapy. Only two of 41 patients had a normal hCG level at the start of the fourth and final course of cisplatin combination chemotherapy. Eight additional patients showed normalized hCG levels 1 month later. Seven of these 10 are continuously NED and three are currently NED with salvage therapy. Thirty-one patients had an abnormal hCG greater than 1 month after they completed primary chemotherapy; 15 of these patients (48%) are continuously NED despite no further therapy and five additional patients (16%) are currently NED with salvage therapy. Overall, there was an initial rapid decline in hCG followed by a plateau after the first two courses of therapy. CONCLUSION: Less than 10% of patients who present with hCG levels greater than 50,000 mIU/mL will have a normal hCG at the institution of the fourth and final course of chemotherapy. However, 22 of 41 (53.7%) are continuously NED despite no further therapy. We feel that the optimal strategy for such patients is monthly observation with initiation of salvage therapy if and when there is serologic progression.
PURPOSE: To determine the therapeutic results in advanced germ cell tumor (GCT) patients with initial human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) elevation greater than 50,000 mIU/mL and to document the levels of hCG decline and subsequent plateau and outcome of this patient population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 41 patients who presented to Indiana University (IU) with hCG levels greater than 50,000 mIU/mL between December 1976 and August 1996. All patients had received cisplatin-containing regimens and were monitored with serial hCG levels. RESULTS: Twenty-two of 41 (53.7%) patients continuously show no evidence of disease (NED) and eight additional patients (19.5%) are currently NED with salvage therapy. Only two of 41 patients had a normal hCG level at the start of the fourth and final course of cisplatin combination chemotherapy. Eight additional patients showed normalized hCG levels 1 month later. Seven of these 10 are continuously NED and three are currently NED with salvage therapy. Thirty-one patients had an abnormal hCG greater than 1 month after they completed primary chemotherapy; 15 of these patients (48%) are continuously NED despite no further therapy and five additional patients (16%) are currently NED with salvage therapy. Overall, there was an initial rapid decline in hCG followed by a plateau after the first two courses of therapy. CONCLUSION: Less than 10% of patients who present with hCG levels greater than 50,000 mIU/mL will have a normal hCG at the institution of the fourth and final course of chemotherapy. However, 22 of 41 (53.7%) are continuously NED despite no further therapy. We feel that the optimal strategy for such patients is monthly observation with initiation of salvage therapy if and when there is serologic progression.
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
Authors: Robert J Hamilton; Christina Canil; Noa Shani Shrem; Kopika Kuhathaas; Maria Di Jiang; Peter Chung; Scott North; Piotr Czaykowski; Sebastien Hotte; Eric Winquist; Christian Kollmannsberger; Armen Aprikian; Denis Soulières; Scott Tyldesley; Alan I So; Nicholas Power; Ricardo A Rendon; Martin O'Malley; Lori Wood; Michael A S Jewett Journal: Can Urol Assoc J Date: 2022-06 Impact factor: 2.052
Authors: C Bokemeyer; C Kollmannsberger; K Oechsle; B M Dohmen; A Pfannenberg; C D Claussen; R Bares; L Kanz Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2002-02-12 Impact factor: 7.640