REAL cure rate

[tccancercop]

Well now being 9+months in remission following HDC due to elevated AFP, is there any information on the net for cure rates following HDC w/ Stem cell for testicular cancers with AFP only? I"ve found plenty of studies with people with histories of elevated BHCG, BHCG w/AFP. I have not found anything with studies of just elevated AFP. As I understand it, elevated BHCG carries a worse prognosis and higher chance of relapse, than those whom only had problems with AFP per se?

[Lori]

Can't help you with the stats, but congratulations on the 9+ months all clear and clear CT Scans in March!

[AdrianB1971]

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there are no correlation between one kind of marker elevation and relapse risk. The cure rate is dependend of 1000000 + 1 factors starting from mutagenic evolution of cancerous and precancerous cells and ending with your immune system and environment where you are living. AFP elevation ensures you have nonseminoma components. Seminoma appears to has a higher rate of late relapse [5+ years]. A plenty of vegetables, fruits, phisical exercises and antioxidants [and faith in GOD of course] will lower recurrence rates.
HDC its the last shield against cancer. If the cancer cells have died then you're 80-90 % cured. Otherwise the perspectives are dark because if there are living cancer cells this cells are chemoresistant !! Conclusion : if we can talk about cure rate depending of type of elevated marker at stage I,II, and III good prognosis, I dont think after HDC the problem it's the same. What can I tell u is that seminoma has a higher relapse rate even after HDC because:
nonseminoma is more agressive and responds better to chemo
In conclusion if you are in remission after HDC with prior AFP elevated I think :
1. you have had nonseminoma based cancer
2. chemo has worked more efficient in this case

so, the relapse rate is lower than HCG elevation [just my opinion !!!]

best regards

[ebfun7]

Relapse

All I can tell you is what Dr. Einhorn told us and I completely trust him. He told me and my husband that for non-seminoma beginning after the normalization of tumor markers (for my husband this was during his second round of high dose) he had a 15% chance of reoccurrence. Every two months his markers remained normal that percent goes down until about a 5% chance of reoccurrence starting the beginning of the second year of normal tumor markers. He also said that is you are going to have a relapse 80-90% of the time it will occur in the first year. He said 10-20% of reoccurrences occur in the second year post normalization of tumor markers. He told us once you hit 2 years with normal markers you are considered cured and really have nothing much to worry about (except getting your follow ups of course).

Hope this helps.

[tccancercop]

Thanks for all your input and yes ebfun7, what you said is basically all i'm looking for. . .is typical chance for relapse for non-seminoma!