Germ cell tumors

Chemotherapy is a common treatment for many patients with germ cell tumors. However, hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) may also be indicated.

Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death for women in the United States, and research is continuously evolving to show the clear risks and benefits of allogeneic HCT. [1]

Male germ cell tumors are one of the most common curable malignancies among young adult men. Autologous HCT in early relapse and tandem transplantation show outcomes have improved over time. [2]

High-dose therapy with autologous stem cell support may be considered for patients with:

• Non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCTs) for refractory disease post induction chemotherapy as long as the patient has chemo-responsive disease and does not have bulky residual tumor
• Germinoma or NGGCT, if the patient has chemo-responsive disease to reinduction chemotherapy and does not have bulky residual tumor

1. Bay J-O, Cabrespine-Faugeras A, Tabrizi R, et al. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in ovarian cancer-the EBMT experience. International journal of cancer. 2010;127(6):1446-1452. doi:10.1002/ijc.25149. Access
2. Kilari D, D’Souza A, Fraser R, et al. Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Male Germ Cell Tumors: Improved Outcomes Over 3 Decades. Biology of blood and marrow transplantation : journal of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. 2019;25(6):1099-1106. doi:10.1016/j.bbmt.2019.02.015. Access