Viable malignant cells after primary chemotherapy for disseminated non-seminomatous germ-cell tumors (NSGCT): An international validation study

4521 Background: Our international group previously identified prognostic factors in patients (pts) with NSGCT and post-chemotherapy viable malignant cells (J Clin Oncol 2001, 19: 2647–57). We attempted to validate these prognostic factors in an independent set of pts. Methods: A series of 84 pts with post-chemotherapy viable NSGCT treated in 13 European and American institutions was collected. Tumor markers had normalized before resection. Pathologic samples were centrally reviewed. Pts with only teratoma in their residual masses were excluded. Results: With a median follow-up of 5.4 years, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 65% and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 72%. The factors found in our previous study also predicted a favorable PFS in this series: a complete resection (p= 0.001), less than 10% of viable malignant cells (p=0.06) and a good International Germ Cell Consensus Classification (IGCCC) group (p=0.04). As in the initial study, pts (n= 61) were assigned to one of ...