High-dose sequential chemotherapy (HDS) versus PEB chemotherapy as first-line treatment of patients with poor prognosis germ-cell tumors: mature results of an Italian randomized phase II study

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with extracranial germ cell tumors - experience of two Brazilian pediatric centers

Malignant extracranial germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare in pediatric patients and are usually extremely sensitive to chemotherapy. Relapsed or refractory tumors, although rare, established the need for second-line therapies, including high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (HDCT/ASCT). However, there are few data on its use in children with GCTs. We present a retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with extracranial GCTs who received HDCT/ASCT at two Brazilian pediatric cancer centers from May 1999 to December 2019. We identified a total of 34 patients with a median age at diagnosis of 2.8 years (range, 0 to 18.8), who received HDCT/ASCT. Most patients (73%) received carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan (CEM) as a HDCT regimen. Fourteen patients received a second-line conventional dose chemotherapy (CDCT), 14 received a third-line CDCT and five received even a fourth-line CDCT prior to HDCT/ASCT. After a median follow-up of 22.7 months (range, 0.3 to 198.1), 16 patients had died after tumor relapse/progression and 2 patients died from HDCT/ASCT toxicity. We observed a 5-year OS of 47.1% and 5-year EFS of 44.1%. The 5-year OS for patients referred for HDCT/ASCT with progressive disease was 10% compared to 62.5% for those who achieved disease control before HDCT/ASCT (p = 0.001). In our experience, heavily pretreated children and adolescents with extracranial GCTs achieved considerable survival rates with HDCT/ASCT since, at least, partial control of their disease was possible before starting HDCT/ASCT. The role of HDCT/ASCT in pediatric patients with GCTs should be investigated in prospective trials.

Standard versus high-dose chemotherapy in mediastinal germ cell tumors: a narrative review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review is to analyze feasibility and toxicities of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) in comparison to standard dose chemotherapy (SDCT) in patients affected by mediastinal germ cell tumors (MGCTs), discussing factors that may affect therapeutic choices, such as: management of residual disease, early response predictors for chemotherapeutic efficacy and determinants of chemotherapeutic resistance. In this review, we discuss the main clinical experiences with HDCT and SDCT in germ cell tumor (GCT) patients specifically in those affected by MGCT.

BACKGROUND

MGCTs represent a very small subset characterized by a poor prognosis, despite improvements in their clinical management and in understanding their biology. From early 1970s, HDCT has become an alternative to SDCT for both first-line and salvage therapeutic settings in advanced GCT patients. Several HDCT schedules-either cisplatin or carboplatin-based-have been tested so far, both in clinical randomized trial and in single-center experiences, with divergent results in terms of clinical outcomes and tolerability. Moreover, the majority of these studies included, but were not exclusively designed for, advanced MGCT patients, making difficult to infer data for this specific subset.

METHODS

an extended review of literature through PubMed was conducted using the keywords "mediastinal germinal cell tumors", "standard dose chemotherapy" and "high dose chemotherapy".

CONCLUSIONS

HDCT regimens could not be considered to date a standard option as first-line therapy in advanced MGCT patients, whilst they could be an alternative to SDCT regimens in relapsed tumors after proper patient selection.

Improved outcomes in metastatic germ cell cancer: results from a large cohort study

Purpose

Treatment of metastatic germ cell cancer (GCC) is based on the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) prognostic classification published in 1997. 5-year survival rates were reported to be 91%, 79%, and 48% for patients with good, intermediate and poor prognosis, respectively. However, treatment results may have improved over time due to cumulative experience, improved supportive care and modern-type chemotherapy.

Methods

Patients with metastatic GCC who received cisplatin-based chemotherapy at two institutions in Munich between 2000 and 2013 were retrospectively studied. Clinical characteristics, treatment and outcomes were analyzed with respect to the IGCCG prognostic classification.

Results

Of 225 patients (median age 35 years), 72 (32%) had seminoma (S) and 153 (68%) nonseminoma. 175 (78%), 30 (13%) and 20 patients (9%) had good, intermediate and poor prognosis according to the IGCCCG classification. The 2-year-progression free survival of patients with good, intermediate and poor prognosis was 91%, 83% and 37%, and the 5-year-overall survival (OS) was 98%, 96%, and 66%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the OS between patients in the good and intermediate prognosis group.

Conclusion

Compared to data from the original IGCCCG classification system, the outcome of patients with metastatic GCC has considerably improved over time. While the prognosis of intermediate-risk patients is excellent, treatment in the poor-prognosis group remains to be improved.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Malignantly Transformed From Frequent Recurrence of a Presacral Epidermoid Cyst: Report of a Case

Backgroud: Presacral tumors are rare space occupying lesions that arise in the presacral space. The incidence of presacral tumor has been reported to be 1 in 40,000 to 63,000 patients. An even rarer occurrence is the transformation of a presacral tumor into a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Case Summary: A 61 years old man was referred to our hospital for a palpable mass near anus and appeared repeatedly in last 10 years. The patient previously underwent two surgeries at another hospital. A posterior approach was implemented in the first two surgeries, and the diagnosis was benign presacral epidermoid cyst. Two months before his admission to our department in 2017, the patient complained of a mass measuring ~2 cm around his anus. Physical examination revealed a 2 cm mass at the 12 o'clock direction in chest-knee position. A digital rectal examination indicated a rubbery lesion located in the presacral space. The Pre-operative pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the presence of a 6.8 cm * 5.2 cm * 7.3 cm mass located at the presacral space. In contrast phase, the center of the lesion exhibited homogenous density without enhancement. The mass was then excised via posterior para-sacral approach with pathological report showing a benign epidermoid cyst after operation. The patient was discharged with full recovery without fecal incontinence. Fifteen months after being discharged from our hospital, the patient discovered a recurrence at the original site of where the mass previously appeared. Unlike the previous instance, the mass was accompanied with swelling, pain, and localized increased skin temperature. Pelvic MRI showed a 3.2 cm * 7.2 cm * 5.8 cm located at the same place, with no enhance in the core of mass. However, a speckled enhancement was observed on the margin of the lesion. The lesion was completely resected using the same procedure as before with a pathological diagnosis of SCC. The patient underwent chemoradiation therapy and remained disease free for more than 1 year.

Conclusion: Although very rare, benign cyst from presacral space can become malignant transformation. This highlights the importance of pre-operative diagnostic tests and evaluation to correctly identify the source of the primary cancer, which is crucial prior to starting adjuvant therapy.

ESMO Consensus Conference on testicular germ cell cancer: diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) consensus conference on testicular cancer was held on 3-5 November 2016 in Paris, France. The conference included a multidisciplinary panel of 36 leading experts in the diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer (34 panel members attended the conference; an additional two panel members [CB and K-PD] participated in all preparatory work and subsequent manuscript development). The aim of the conference was to develop detailed recommendations on topics relating to testicular cancer that are not covered in detail in the current ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and where the available level of evidence is insufficient. The main topics identified for discussion related to: (1) diagnostic work-up and patient assessment; (2) stage I disease; (3) stage II-III disease; (4) post-chemotherapy surgery, salvage chemotherapy, salvage and desperation surgery and special topics; and (5) survivorship and follow-up schemes. The experts addressed questions relating to one of the five topics within five working groups. Relevant scientific literature was reviewed in advance. Recommendations were developed by the working groups and then presented to the entire panel. A consensus vote was obtained following whole-panel discussions, and the consensus recommendations were then further developed in post-meeting discussions in written form. This manuscript presents the results of the expert panel discussions, including the consensus recommendations and a summary of evidence supporting each recommendation. All participants approved the final manuscript.

First - line, non - cryopreserved autologous stem cell transplant for poor - risk germ - cell tumors: Experience in a developing country

PURPOSE

The current first - line treatment for non - seminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) consists of four cycles of cisplatin, etoposide, and bleomycin (BEP), which results in 5 - year overall survival < 60% in patients with poor - risk features. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto - HSCT) as a method for overcoming high toxicity after high dose chemotherapy (HDC) has been explored in different solid tumors, but has remained standard practice only for NSGCT. Our objective was to describe outcomes of patients with poor - risk NSGCT who underwent first - line autologous HSCT in a tertiary center in Mexico.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty nine consecutive patients with NSGCT who received first - line, non - cryopreserved autologous HSCT at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubiran in Mexico City, Mexico, from November 1998 to June 2016, were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

The median age at transplantation was 23 (15 - 39) years. Most patients (n = 18, 62%) had testicular primary tumor, and 23 had metastases (79%). Complete response after auto - HSCT was observed in 45%. Non - relapse mortality was 0. Five - year relapse / progression free and overall survival were 67% and 69%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This small single limited - resource institution study demonstrated that patients with poor - risk NSGCT are curable by first - line HDC plus autologous HSCT and that this procedure is feasible and affordable to perform using non - cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cells.

Role of one, two and three doses of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous transplantation in the treatment of high-risk or relapsed testicular cancer: a systematic review

Approximately 20-30% of patients with metastatic germ cell cancers (GCCs) can develop relapsed or refractory (RR) disease, about 40-50% of patients who relapse after salvage chemotherapy may reach long-term remission. The goal of this review was to identify patients who appear to benefit from high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). To access this, we performed a systematic medical literature review to evaluate the effectiveness of HDCT in the frontline setting, as well as in patients with RR testicular cancer. We searched databases for interventional clinical studies and identified 5883 studies. We selected 49 studies for inclusion, which included a total of 5985 patients. Seventeen studies reported results of newly diagnosed poor-risk GCC patients and 32 studies reported results of RR patients. For newly diagnosed patients with poor prognostic predictors, a risk adjusted strategy using unfavorable tumor marker decline with initial standard chemotherapy regimen and upfront HDCT demonstrated improved outcomes. Our data suggest a minimum of two HDCT cycles with ASCT should be standard of care for patients with RR GCC. Failure of HDCT results in a poor prognosis with only 10% of patients achieving lasting remission with salvage therapy.

Prognostic Factors and Treatment Results After Bleomycin, Etoposide, and Cisplatin in Germ Cell Cancer: A Population-based Study

BACKGROUND

First-line treatment for patients with disseminated germ cell cancer (GCC) is bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP). A prognostic classification of patients receiving chemotherapy was published by the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) in 1997, but only a small proportion of the patients received BEP.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate survival probabilities after BEP, evaluate the IGCCCG prognostic classification, and propose new prognostic factors for outcome.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Of a Danish population-based cohort of GCC patients (1984-2007), 1889 received first-line BEP, with median follow-up of 15 yr. Covariates evaluated as prognostic factors were age, year of treatment, primary site, non-pulmonary visceral metastases, pulmonary metastases, and tumor markers.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Outcomes measured were 5-yr progression-free survival (PFS), 5-yr disease-specific survival (DSS), and 5-yr overall survival (OS) as calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

The 5-yr PFS, DSS, and OS were 87%, 95%, and 93%, respectively, for patients with seminomatous GCC (SGCC) and good prognosis. For nonseminomatous GCC (NSGCC) with good, intermediate, and poor prognosis, the 5-yr probabilities were 90%, 76%, and 55% for PFS; 97%, 87%, and 66% for DSS; and 95%, 85%, and 64% for OS, respectively. For SGCC patients, new adverse prognostic factors not included in the IGCCCG classification were higher age and lactate dehydrogenase ≥1.5 times the upper limit of normal. For NSGCC patients, higher age and pulmonary metastases were additional adverse prognostic factors. Treatment in earlier years was associated with higher mortality. Limitations include the small number of patients in the prognostic groups, and the inability to adjust for performance status and comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study reveals improved survival for disseminated GCC throughout the study period. We propose new prognostic factors for outcome for validation in larger cohorts of patients.

PATIENT SUMMARY

In this study of testicular cancer patients, we evaluated prognostic factors for outcome and calculated survival after standard chemotherapy. We find that survival has improved over the years and we propose new prognostic factors for outcome for validation in larger patient cohorts.

Effect of Bleomycin Administration on the Development of Pulmonary Toxicity in Patients With Metastatic Germ Cell Tumors Receiving First-Line Chemotherapy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Studies

BACKGROUND

Limited information is available about the effect of bleomycin administration on the development of pulmonary toxicity in metastatic germ cell tumors (GCT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A literature search was conducted to identify randomized trials of first-line chemotherapy for GCT. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses using random effects models to evaluate the predictive role of bleomycin administration in the development of all Grade and Grade 3 to 4 (G3-4) pulmonary toxicity. The results were adjusted for length of follow-up, prognostic risk group, year of treatment, presence of lung metastases, and primary mediastinal GCT.

RESULTS

Fifty-three study arms of 25 phase II and III trials encompassing 6498 patients were selected: 40 that used bleomycin (n = 5093) and 13 that did not (n = 1405). The pooled probability of all-Grade pulmonary toxicity in the bleomycin and nonbleomycin arms was 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.4%-16.0%) and 1.7% (95% CI, 0.7%-4.2%), respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that bleomycin administration was associated with the incidence of all-Grade (odds ratio [OR], 7.57; 95% CI, 2.84-20.18; Wald test P < .001) and G3-4 pulmonary toxicity (OR, 5.19; 95% CI, 1.57-17.16; P = .007). Multivariate analysis showed a significant association of bleomycin administration with the incidence of all-Grade pulmonary toxicity (OR, 4.14; 95% CI, 1.36-12.59; P = .012) and a trend toward significance for G3-4 toxicity (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 0.91-5.51; P = .080).

CONCLUSION

We quantified the bleomycin-associated effect on the development of pulmonary toxicity in patients with GCT who received first-line chemotherapy. This information might be useful for planning clinical trials aimed at reducing chemotherapy as well as to inform patients in the clinic.

High dose chemotherapy with stem cell support in the treatment of testicular cancer

Testicular germ cell cancer (TGCC) is rare form of malignant disease that occurs mostly in young man between age 15 and 40. The worldwide incidence of TGCC is 1.5 per 100000 man with the highest rates in North Europe. After discovery of cisplatin cure rates of TGCC are very favorable between 90%-95% and unlike most solid tumors, cure rate for metastatic TGCC is around 80%. Metastatic TGCC is usually treated with 3-4 cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatinum chemotherapy with or without retroperitoneal surgery and cure rates with this approach are between 41% in poor risk group and 92% in good risk group of patients. Cure rates are lower in relapsed and refractory patients and many of them will die from the disease if not cured with first line chemotherapy. High dose chemotherapy (HDCT) approach was used for the first time during the 1980s. Progress in hematology allowed the possibility to keep autologous haematopoietic stem cells alive ex-vivo at very low temperatures and use them to repopulate the bone marrow after sub-lethal dose of intesive myeloablative chemotherapy. Despite the fact that there is no positive randomized study to prove HDCT concept, cure rates in relapsed TGCC are higher after high dose therapy then in historical controls in studies with conventional treatment. Here we review clinical studies in HDCT for TGCC, possibilities of mobilising sufficient number of stem cells and future directions in the treatment of this disease.

Trial Watch: Immunogenic cell death inducers for anticancer chemotherapy

The term "immunogenic cell death" (ICD) is now employed to indicate a functionally peculiar form of apoptosis that is sufficient for immunocompetent hosts to mount an adaptive immune response against dead cell-associated antigens. Several drugs have been ascribed with the ability to provoke ICD when employed as standalone therapeutic interventions. These include various chemotherapeutics routinely employed in the clinic (e.g., doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and oxaliplatin) as well as some anticancer agents that are still under preclinical or clinical development (e.g., some microtubular inhibitors of the epothilone family). In addition, a few drugs are able to convert otherwise non-immunogenic instances of cell death into bona fide ICD, and may therefore be employed as chemotherapeutic adjuvants within combinatorial regimens. This is the case of cardiac glycosides, like digoxin and digitoxin, and zoledronic acid. Here, we discuss recent developments on anticancer chemotherapy based on ICD inducers.