Adjuvant chemotherapy with vinblastine and bleomycin in stage B nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis

Between 1974 and 1980, 48 lymph node dissections were done for nonseminomatous tumors. Of 23 patients with pathologic stage A disease 1 (4%) suffered recurrence but is free of disease after chemotherapy and pulmonary resection. All 23 patients (100%) are free of disease. Adjuvant chemotherapy with high dose vinblastine and constant infusion of bleomycin was given in 25 patients with stage B disease and none had maintenance chemotherapy. Of these 25 patients 2 (8%) had evidence of recurrent disease after adjuvant chemotherapy and both are free of disease after further chemotherapy, which included cis-platinum. One patient died after a second primary embryonal carcinoma developed in the remaining testis 3 years after the initial tumor. Twenty-four of the 25 patients with stage B tumor (96%) are free of disease 15 months to >7 years after therapy.