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Primary chemotherapy in the management of low stage (IIA and IIB) non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumours

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Abstract

In a prospective study a total of 65 patients in clinical stages IIA and IIB non-seminomatous testicular tumours were treated by primary chemotherapy followed by retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy in cases with residual disease. The patients were given a combination of cisplatin, vinblastine and bleomycin, or also etoposide. Sixty-two patients (95.4%) achieved complete response: 39 (60%) by chemotherapy alone and 23 (35.4%) following surgical removal of residual disease. Three patients died; there were two drug-related deaths during PVB chemotherapy, one patient had progression of disease following chemotherapy and died as a result of disease dissemination.

Three patients relapsed from complete response following chemotherapy, two of them died within 19 and 29 months after the onset of therapy. The third patient received second-line chemotherapy and gained complete response again. Of the 65 patients, 60 (92.3%) survive with no evidence of disease. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 79 months (mean 39.4 months, median 39 months).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Comenius University Medical School, Bratislava, Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

    D. Ondruš, M. Horňák, J. Maťoška, J. Kaušitz & V. Belan

  2. Department of Histopathology and Electron Microscopy, Cancer Research Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

    D. Ondruš, M. Horňák, J. Maťoška, J. Kaušitz & V. Belan

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

    D. Ondruš, M. Horňák, J. Maťoška, J. Kaušitz & V. Belan

  4. Department of Computed Tomography, Medical Bionics Research Institute, Bratislava, Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

    D. Ondruš, M. Horňák, J. Maťoška, J. Kaušitz & V. Belan

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  1. D. Ondruš
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  2. M. Horňák
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  4. J. Kaušitz
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  5. V. Belan
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Ondruš, D., Horňák, M., Maťoška, J. et al. Primary chemotherapy in the management of low stage (IIA and IIB) non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumours. International Urology and Nephrology 24, 299–304 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02549539

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02549539

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