[Chemotherapy for metastatic germ cell tumours of the testis]

Abstract

The gold standard regimen for metastatic testicular germ cell tumours is a combination of bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin. The number of cycles is defined by pathology (seminoma or non seminoma) and the prognostic criteria of the international classification (degree of elevation of serum tumour markers and presence or not of non pulmonary visceral metastases). The surgical resection of all residual metastatic masses is mandatory after the normalization of serum tumour markers in non seminoma patients. The cure rates after chemotherapy and surgery are about 90% and 50% in good-risk and poor-risk patients, respectively.