Etoposide, cisplatin, bleomycin, and cyclophosphamide (ECBC) as first-line chemotherapy for poor-risk non-seminomatous germ cell tumors

Acta Oncol. 1993;32(5):541-6. doi: 10.3109/02841869309096115.

Abstract

Sixty-one patients with advanced metastatic non-seminomatous germ cell tumors were treated with etoposide 120 mg/m2, cisplatin 30 mg/m2, bleomycin 12 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 daily for four days; and additional bleomycin bolus injection of 15 mg was given on day 1. Fifty patients (82%) were treated with four to six courses at 3-week intervals. Forty patients (66%) attained complete remission, and further 7 patients (11%) achieved a marker-negative partial remission accounting for a favorable response rate of 77%. Hematologic toxicity was considerable and there were two treatment-related deaths. After a median observation time of 47 months (range 12 to 108 months), 43 patients were alive, of which 38 had continuous complete remission, one a second complete remission, two marker-negative stable disease and two progressive disease. Our results are similar to those reported by other investigators for poor-risk metastatic non-seminomatous germ cell tumors treated with dose-intensified regimens.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Bleomycin / administration & dosage
  • Cisplatin / administration & dosage
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage
  • Etoposide / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / secondary*
  • Remission Induction
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Bleomycin
  • Etoposide
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Cisplatin