HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prenger, K. Articles by Oosterhuis, J. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Prenger, K. Articles by Oosterhuis, J. W.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 38, 444-446, Copyright © 1984 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

ARTICLES

Thoracotomy as a staging procedure after chemotherapy in the treatment of Stage III nonseminomatous carcinoma of the testis

K Prenger, L Eysman, JN van der Heide, J Oldhoff, DT Sleijfer, HS Koops and JW Oosterhuis

Of 108 patients with a nonseminomatous testicular carcinoma, 28 with lung metastases were studied. After combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin (PVB), 11 patients underwent exploratory thoracotomy. Viable carcinomatous tissue, along with fibrosis, necrosis, and mature teratoma, was found in 4 patients. Three of these patients were successfully retreated with VP 16-213, cisplatin, and actinomycin D. In patients with residual pulmonary or mediastinal masses after chemotherapy, resection of the lesions is mandatory to demonstrate viable carcinoma so that treatment can be readministered. Thus, in our view, thoracotomy is a diagnostic procedure.