Maroto P, García del Muro X, Aparicio J, Paz-Ares L, Arranz JA, Guma J, Terrassa J, Barnadas J, Dorta J, Germà-Lluch JR. Multicentre risk-adapted management for stage I non-seminomatous germ cell tumours.
Ann Oncol 2005;
16:1915-20. [PMID:
16126737 DOI:
10.1093/annonc/mdi397]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The Spanish Germ Cell Group is composed of 60 centres. Our challenge was to define a surveillance protocol that would be safe and suitable regardless of population size or geographic coverage.
METHODS
From January 1994 to January 2004, 589 patients with stage I non-seminomatous germ cell tumours entered a risk-adapted surveillance protocol after orchiectomy. Patients with vascular or local invasion of adjacent structures (231/589; 39%) received two cycles of BE400P (bleomycin 30 U/week, etoposide 100 mg/m2 x4, cisplatinum 25 mg/m2 x4). Other patients (358/589; 61%) were kept on close follow-up (chest X-ray; serum tumour markers: first year every 2 months, second year every 3 months, third year every 4 months; abdominal computed tomography scans at every other outpatient control). The outcomes selected for the study were feasibility, relapse rate and number of patients lost to follow-up and mortality.
RESULTS
Median follow-up was 40 months. In the surveillance group, 21 patients were lost to follow-up. In the chemotherapy group, two patients relapsed at 12 and 14.5 months and they are presently free of disease. In the surveillance group, 71 (19%) patients relapsed, of which 55 (71%) relapsed within the first year. Five (1.4%) patients died of their cancer. Factors associated with relapse were embryonal carcinoma and vascular invasion in patients who refused chemotherapy.
CONCLUSIONS
Our risk-adapted surveillance protocol provided a low rate of recurrences.
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