UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Dose dense chemotherapy for untreated poor prognosis and relapsed germ cell tumours - An 18 year experience with GAMEC chemotherapy

Shamash, J; Mee, M; Sarker, S-J; Wilson, P; Ansell, W; Greenwood, M; Berney, D; (2020) Dose dense chemotherapy for untreated poor prognosis and relapsed germ cell tumours - An 18 year experience with GAMEC chemotherapy. BJU International , 125 (6) pp. 843-852. 10.1111/bju.14947. Green open access

[thumbnail of bju.14947.pdf]
Preview
Text
bju.14947.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Background: The role of dose intensified cisplatin‐based regimens as alternatives to conventional Bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP) based treatments in untreated poor risk testicular cancer, and their utility in recurrence following first line chemotherapy remains unresolved. Here we report a single Centre experience of the regimen GAMEC (granulocyte colony stimulating factor, actinomycin‐D, methotrexate with folinic acid rescue, etoposide and cisplatin) over 18 years in both untreated and relapse settings. / Methods: This retrospective cohort study is based on 162 patients who received the GAMEC–both dose dense chemotherapy and incorporation of actinomycin and methotrexate. Survival outcomes were compared and risk categorisation methods of the IPFSG and also based on LDH>ULN and Age>=35 were compared in terms of survival outcomes using Cox proportional hazard regression modelling. / Results: Seventy five patients with IGCCCG poor prognosis disease received GAMEC as initial therapy. With a median follow‐up of 63 months, median PFS was >14 months. Two‐year progression free survival (PFS) rate was 61.5% (95% CI: 49.1‐71.6) and the 3‐yr overall survival (OS) was 71.9%. Seventy six received GAMEC as second line (following failure of BEP or EP). The median PFS was 7.5 months (95% CI: 5.2‐NE), the 2‐yr PFS rate was 43.5% (95% CI: 32.1‐54.4) and the 3‐yr OS was 53.7% (41.6‐64.3). In the 3rd line setting (n=11) the 2y PFS was 18.2% (95%CI: 2.8‐44.2). Overall, the TRD rate declined from 10.5 % in the first 15 years to 2.6% in the last 5 years. / Conclusion: GAMEC is an effective regimen in untreated poor prognosis disease and on relapse following conventional cisplatin and etoposide based chemotherapy. Risk categorization based on LDH/Age is more sensitive than IPFSG2 criteria. It is possible to identify patients particularly likely to benefit from this treatment whose short duration and absence of bleomycin are significant advantages, particularly in patients with central nervous system and mediastinal disease. Low dose induction treatment is associated with safer delivery of treatment without compromising survival.

Type: Article
Title: Dose dense chemotherapy for untreated poor prognosis and relapsed germ cell tumours - An 18 year experience with GAMEC chemotherapy
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1111/bju.14947
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.14947
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10088819
Downloads since deposit
221Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item