[High dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support in the treatment of germ cell tumors: experience of the centre Léon-Bérard between 1982 and 1996].

More than 80% patients with metastatic germ cell tumors are cured by chemotherapy and surgery. Since 1980, intensive chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow was developed for the patients who where not cured by conventional chemotherapy. We present the experience of the Centre Léon-Bérard, between 1982 and 1996, seventy-five metastatic germ cell tumors patients were treated with high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell support. Forty-six patients received cisplatin, etoposide, ifosfamide (VIC regimen), 17 carboplatin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide (CarboPEC regimen), 9 cisplatin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide (PEC) and 10 had another regimen. The chemotherapy was administred in different situations: 31 patients with poor prognosis in first line, 15 in salvage of sensitive relapse, 15 in salvage of incomplete response, and 14 with a cisplatin refractory disease. The complete response rate was 31% among the 54 evaluable patients. Seven patients died as a consequence of the treatment. The two-year overall actuarial survival and the event free survival were respectively 67% and 57% (median 42 months). Only 2 patients who had a refractory disease are continuously disease-free at 42 and 87 months after regimen. The renal toxicity was more severe with regimen VIC than with CarboPEC 30% versus 60%, whereas the hematologic toxicity are similar with both. This study shows the feasability of high dose chemotherapy. Two refractory patients are alive, and the results seem to be interesting for the patients in salvage treatment. But this treatment is not a standard for germinal cell tumors and randomized trials are ongoing.