Treating relapsed and refractory metastatic germ cell tumours with high-dose chemotherapy with carboplatin and etoposide and autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2021 Oct;27(7):1657-1664. doi: 10.1177/1078155220964540. Epub 2020 Oct 13.

Abstract

Introduction and aim: To demonstrate the real-life data about patients who underwent AHSCT due to GCT.

Methods: Between November 2016 and April 2020, 64 patients who received CE as high-dose chemotherapy for AHSCT in the Gulhane Education and Research Hospital were included in the study. Sixty-one patients received one AHSCT with CE chemotherapy regimen. Survival data and clinical characteristics were evaluated retrospectively.

Results: The mean age of the patients were 31.9 ± 9 (min-max:18-55). With a median follow-up of 10.7 ± 8.7 months, the 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 57.8%, and the 1-year overall survival rate was 77.5%. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) times were 21.5 ± 1.8 (95% CI: 14.5-33.4) and 20 ± 2 months, respectively. The response rate was 72%. There were three treatment-related deaths.

Conclusion: This sizeable single-centre study shows that patients with relapsed metastatic GCT are curable by CE as high dose chemotherapy plus AHSCT with reliable toxicity even for a single cycle.

Keywords: Germ cell tumour; stem cell; transplantation.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Carboplatin
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Etoposide
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* / drug therapy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Transplantation, Autologous

Substances

  • Etoposide
  • Carboplatin