Cisplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced seminoma: Experience of the northern Israel Oncology Center: 1981-1994

Background: The efficacy of cisplatinum combined chemotherapy modalities was investigated in a variety of trials for patients with advanced seminoma. Results regarding remission rates and survival are encouraging. Methods: Between December 1981 and January 1994, 13 patients with either relapsed (following radiotherapy failure) or primarily advanced seminoma were treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy at the Northern Israel Oncology Center. Results: Eleven (84%) patients achieved complete clearance of all sites of disease. One patient demonstrated clinically and radiographically remarkable shrinkage of an abdominal mass, and laparotomy revealed fibrotic/necrotic tissue without viable tumor cells. After a mean follow-up of 58 months (range 4-168), 12 patients (92%) are alive and well without evidence of malignancy. One patient, in whom a 2-cm abdominal mass is stable radiographically, is under observation with no sign of tumor activity. Side effects were tolerable; no patient developed chemotherapy-induced sepsis. One patient developed spontaneous pneumothorax a few days after completion of his first chemotherapy cycle, which resolved with treatment. Conclusions: Our results confirm the efficacy and safety of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced seminoma, even in pre-irradiated patients. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.