Salvage chemotherapy with high-dose carboplatin and etoposide with peripheral blood stem cell transplant in patients with relapsed pure seminoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate rates of complete remission and overall survival for patients with relapsed pure seminoma treated with high-dose carboplatin and etoposide followed by peripheral blood stem cell transplant. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight consecutive patients with relapsed pure seminoma who were treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant between May 1996 and June 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Upon relapse (first, second, or third relapse) patients were given HDCT with carboplatin 700 mg/m(2) and etoposide 750 mg/m(2) for 3 consecutive days followed by infusion of peripheral blood stem cells. Here, we review both response and survival. RESULTS: Thirty-eight (79%) of 48 patients obtained a complete response (CR) with overall survival of 75%. Median follow-up of all patients was 45.6 months. Twenty-two (92%) of 24 patients in first relapse achieved CR and are still alive and continuously disease-free. Sixteen (67%) of 24 patients had HDCT as third- or fourth-line therapy with 67% CR and overall survival of 64%. There were 3 treatment-related deaths, all of which occurred as third- or fourth-line therapy. CONCLUSION: HDCT results in high rates of both CR and overall survival in patients with first or later relapsed pure seminoma germ cell tumors.

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer: the role of maintenance therapy.

Platinum-based chemotherapy has been shown to provide survival benefits in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Maintenance/consolidation chemotherapy in NSCLC has gained renewed interest with improved tolerability of chemotherapy and the addition of biologic agents. Various studies have evaluated the role of prolonged duration of chemotherapy as well as maintenance/consolidation strategies with both chemotherapy and biologic agents. The available data at this time demonstrates that maintenance or consolidation therapy can improve progression free survival; however this does not result consistently in an improved overall survival. We review the literature with regard to duration of therapy and use of maintenance/consolidation therapy in advanced NSCLC.

Long-term survival in a patient with stage IV non-small-cell lung carcinoma after bone metastasectomy.

Patients with bone metastases related to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a poor prognosis. In the rare situation in which a patient has a solitary bone metastasis, aggressive treatment may be warranted, as illustrated by the case reported here.