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Bleomycin combination chemotherapy in the management of testicular neoplasia
Author(s) -
Samuels Melvin L.,
Holoye Paul Y.,
Johnson Douglas E.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197508)36:2<318::aid-cncr2820360205>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - medicine , bleomycin , vincristine , cyclophosphamide , methotrexate , vinblastine , gastroenterology , stage (stratigraphy) , pneumonitis , chemotherapy , surgery , lung , paleontology , biology
Eighty‐three patients with Stage II or Stage III germinal neoplasia of the testis and 7 patients with extragonadal primary tumors were treated with bleomycin plus vinblastine, or a five‐drug program, bleomycin plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, and 5‐fluorouracil. Of the 70 Stage III patients, there were 53 responses (75%), 22 complete and 31 partial. The mean survival of the complete responders is 100+ weeks, with 3 dead. The mean survival of the partial responders and nonresponders is 38 weeks and 33 weeks, respectively. There is a highly significant difference between complete responders vs. partial and nonresponders (p < 0.01). Thirteen patients with nonmeasurable disease (Stage II and Stage III postresectional status) but at great risk to develop widespread metastasis were treated prophylactically after conventional therapy. Nine continue in complete response to 36 months. The 7 extragonadal primary patients showed 4 partial responses, none complete. Major toxicity was myelosuppression and also bleomycin pneumonitis in 5 of the 90 evaluable patients.