Outcomes of multiply relapsed, refractory germ-cell tumour (GCT) patients remain poor with an overall survival (OS) of a few months only. Thus, new therapeutic advances are urgently needed. Cabazitaxel has shown preclinical activity in platinum-resistant GCT models. Here, we report the first clinical case series of cabazitaxel treatment for platinum-refractory GCT.
Data of multiply relapsed GCT patients receiving single-agent cabazitaxel were retrospectively analysed. Endpoints included 12-week progression-free survival (PFS) rate, disease control rate, tumour marker responses, median PFS and OS, and toxicity.
Cabazitaxel showed limited activity in 13 heavily pre-treated GCT patients. After a median follow-up of 23 weeks (IQR 29), 69% of patients were deceased. A median of 2 cycles of cabazitaxel (range 1-7) were applied. The 12-week PFS rate was 31%. Median PFS and OS were 7 and 23 weeks, respectively. Two patients achieved objective responses (15%), three patients (23%) achieved a tumour marker decline ≥ 50%, and the disease control rate was 39%. Cabazitaxel was well tolerated. CTCAE° III-IV haemato-toxicity was most common (54%), and dose reductions were scarce (15%).
In this case series, cabazitaxel showed limited activity in heavily pre-treated GCT patients. Two-phase II studies are underway (NCT02115165, NCT02478502) prospectively assessing cabazitaxel in multiply relapsed GCTs.
Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology. 2019 Dec 14 [Epub ahead of print]
Christoph Oing, Marcus Hentrich, Anja Lorch, Dietrich Gläser, Holger Rumpold, Sebastian Ochsenreither, Stephan Richter, Annette Dieing, Stefanie Zschäbitz, Ronnie Rodrigues Pereira, Carsten Bokemeyer, Christoph Seidel
Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, Department of Oncology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. ., Department of Haematology and Oncology, Red Cross Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany., Department of Medical Oncology and Haematology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland., Department of Internal Medicine III, Klinikum Suedstadt Rostock, Rostock, Germany., Department of Internal Medicine II, Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria., Charité Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Berlin, Germany., Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany., Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology and Oncology, Vivantes Hospital am Urban, Berlin, Germany., Department of Medical Oncology, National Centre for Tumour Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany., Division of Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Translational Oncogenomics Group, The Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK., Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, Department of Oncology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.