Stage III metastatic malignant testicular tumors:Treatment with intermittent and combined chemotherapy

Forty-one patients with metastatic carcinoma of the testis were treated according to 3 cancer chemotherapeutic regimens. Thirteen responses greater than 50% and lasting more than one month were obtained. Fourteen patients received nitrogen mustard alternating with actinomycin D and 4 responses occurred. One patient is alive with no evidence of disease 5 years after treatment. Fifteen patients were treated with nitrogen mustard alternating with methotrexate and 5 responses were obtained. One patient is alive with no disease 2 years after therapy and one patient has static disease 40 months after therapy. A third patient developed hepatic metastases 18 months after complete remission of pulmonary lesions. Twelve patients received triple therapy (vincristine, an alkylating agent and methotrexate). There were 4 partial remissions lasting 4 to 5 months.