High-dose chemotherapy as initial salvage chemotherapy in patients with relapsed testicular cancer

To assess the role of high-dose chemotherapy as initial salvage chemotherapy in patients with relapsed testicular cancer.

From August 1992 to April 1998, 65 patients with testicular cancer were treated with high-dose carboplatin and etoposide followed by peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation or autologous bone marrow transplantation rescue as initial salvage chemotherapy at Indiana University. An identical course was given after hematopoietic reconstitution. Postchemotherapy resection of residual disease was performed in selected patients with incomplete radiographic response associated with normalization of markers. The median follow-up was 39 months (range, 16 to 91 months).

Thirty-seven (57%) of the 65 patients are continuously disease-free. Three additional patients are disease-free with subsequent surgery. High-dose chemotherapy was associated with significant morbidity but no treatment-related mortality.

High-dose chemotherapy as initial salvage chemotherapy achieved impressive long-term survival with acceptable toxicity in patients with relapsed testicular cancer.