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Objectives To determine the outcome of an expanded cohort of patients with relapsed germ cell tumours (GCTs) treated with a salvage chemotherapy regimen consisting of irinotecan, paclitaxel and oxaliplatin (IPO) and assess the role of IPO as an alternative to standard cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens in this setting. Patients and Methods The results of 72 consecutive patients were reviewed retrospectively. IPO was used either as a second-line treatment (29 patients), of which 20 patients subsequently received high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT), or third-line (43), of which 32 patients proceeded to HDCT. Results The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates for the whole cohort were 30.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.3-40.5%) and 33.4% (95% CI 20.1-43.8%), respectively. Complete remission was achieved in 3%, marker-negative partial response (PR) in 41%, marker-positive PR in 18%, stable disease in 17% and progressive disease in 20%. In the second-line setting, the 2-year PFS rate was 43.5% (95% CI 21.7-60.8%) and 3-year OS 49.1% (95% CI 24.2-65.1%). In the third-line setting, the 2-year PFS rate was 21.0% (95% CI 9.5-35.4%) and the 3-year OS rate was 23.9% (95% CI 11.7-38.2). According to the current international prognostic factor study group criteria for first relapse for the high- and very high-risk group the 2-year PFS rates were 50% and 30%, respectively. There were two treatment-related deaths from IPO, and four from HDCT. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included neutropenia (35%), thrombocytopaenia (18%), infection (15%), diarrhoea (11%) and lethargy (8%). Conclusions IPO offers an effective, well-tolerated, non-nephrotoxic alternative to cisplatin-based salvage regimens for patients with relapsed GCTs. It appears particularly useful in high-risk patients and for those in whom cisplatin is ineffective or contra-indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Patients with advanced, metastatic sarcoma have a poor prognosis, and the overall benefit from the few standard-of-care therapeutics available is small. The rarity of this tumor, combined with the wide range of subtypes, leads to difficulties in conducting clinical trials. The authors previously reported the outcome of patients with a variety of common solid tumors who received treatment with drug regimens that were first tested in patient-derived xenografts using a proprietary method ('TumorGrafts'). METHODS Tumors resected from 29 patients with sarcoma were implanted into immunodeficient mice to identify drug targets and drugs for clinical use. The results of drug sensitivity testing in the TumorGrafts were used to personalize cancer treatment. RESULTS Of 29 implanted tumors, 22 (76%) successfully engrafted, permitting the identification of treatment regimens for these patients. Although 6 patients died before the completion of TumorGraft testing, a correlation between TumorGraft results and clinical outcome was observed in 13 of 16 (81%) of the remaining individuals. No patients progressed during the TumorGraft-predicted therapy. CONCLUSIONS The current data support the use of the personalized TumorGraft model as an investigational platform for therapeutic decision-making that can guide treatment for rare tumors such as sarcomas. A randomized phase 3 trial versus physician's choice is warranted. Cancer 2014;120:2006-2015. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The management of brain metastases in patients with germ cell tumors remains controversial. The authors assessed the outcome in this patient group after the introduction of GAMEC chemotherapy (14-day cisplatin, high-dose methotrexate, etoposide, and actinomycin-D with filgrastim support) and cessation of the routine use of cranial irradiation. METHODS Data were recorded prospectively from 39 patients with germ cell tumors and concurrent brain metastases who received treatment before and after the advent of GAMEC after they relapsed on conventional cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Neurosurgery was offered to selected patients. Radiotherapy generally was used only as a salvage therapy after chemotherapy failure. The primary outcome measure was overall survival and was depicted using a Kaplan-Meier plot. RESULTS The 3-year overall survival rates were 38% for the whole cohort, 69% for those who presented with brain metastases at diagnosis (group 1), and 21% and 0% for those who developed metastases after initial chemotherapy (group 2) and while receiving chemotherapy (group 3), respectively. For the whole cohort, the median overall survival was 10.6 months (range, 5.5 months to not evaluable); and, for groups 1, 2, and 3 individually, the overall survival was not yet reached (range, from 7.4 months to not evaluable), 6.2 months (range, 2.1-15.3 months), and 2.7 months (range, from 0.6 months to not evaluable), respectively. The 3-year survival rate for those who received GAMEC chemotherapy was 56% compared with 27% for those who received chemotherapy pre-GAMEC. CONCLUSIONS The prognosis for patients with germ cell tumors and brain metastases seems less bleak than previously thought. It is possible to achieve long-term survival with chemotherapy alone. Cancer 2014;120:1639-1646. © 2014 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]