Summarizes salvage protocols from key centers throughout the world, and the current prognoses. Seminoma and non-seminona disussed. Link to full text article worth a read, although it may be emotionally difficult to do so.
Oncologist. 2007 Jan;12(1):51-61.
Management of recurrent testicular germ cell tumors.Sonpavde G, Hutson TE, Roth BJ.
US Oncology Research, Houston, Texas, USA. [email protected]
Although front-line chemotherapy cures most men with testicular germ cell tumors, salvage therapy is still important in a small but significant minority. Second-line conventional-dose or high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue may cure 25%-50% of patients. New chemotherapeutic agents, including the taxanes gemcitabine and oxaliplatin, have added to the therapeutic armamentarium. Salvage surgical resection has an important role in selected patients. Cisplatin-refractory patients have a poor prognosis with current therapy, and novel chemotherapeutic and biologic agents need to be discovered for such patients.
