The impact of the "cisplatin era" of treatment on survival in testicular cancer

The records of all testicular cancer patients evaluated and treated at our medical center during two consecutive 9-year periods were reviewed and analyzed for prognostic factors, particularly the impact of cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. The data base of 244 patients was divided into two eras: 1970-1978, defined as the "pre-cisplatin era" (n=101) and 1979-1987, the "cisplatin era" (n=143). Statistically improved survival (P=0.024) was noted for the 165 nonseminoma patients and for a grouping of 143 patients treated with combination chemotherapy (P=0.004) during the cisplatin era. Stratification by stage revealed that stage II patients had the most significant survival advantage (P=0.001) during the cisplatin era; cancer mortality improved from 48% to 9%. Cancer death rates for stage III patients decreased from 58% to 39% which is clinically but not statistically significant (P=0.497). Stage I patients and the seminoma population did well during both eras, and the impact of cisplatin could not be statistically confirmed in this study for these subgroups. Multivariate statistical analysis confirmed the importance of the era of treatment for the nonseminoma population. © 1991 Springer-Verlag.

Duke Scholars

Author Judd Wendell Moul Urology

Author Philip John Walther Urology