Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-019-03071-2 ORIGINAL ARTICLE – CLINICAL ONCOLOGY Treatment of refractory germ‑cell tumours with single‑agent cabazitaxel: a German Testicular Cancer Study Group case series Christoph Oing 1,2,3  · Marcus Hentrich 4  · Anja Lorch 5  · Dietrich Gläser 6  · Holger Rumpold 7  · Sebastian Ochsenreither 8,9  · Stephan Richter 10  · Annette Dieing 11  · Stefanie Zschäbitz 12  · Ronnie Rodrigues Pereira 3  · Carsten Bokemeyer 1  · Christoph Seidel 1 Received: 21 August 2019 / Accepted: 28 October 2019 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract Purpose Outcomes of multiply relapsed, refractory germ-cell tumour (GCT) patients remain poor with an overall survival (OS) of a few months only. Thus, new therapeutic advances are urgently needed. Cabazitaxel has shown preclinical activ- ity in platinum-resistant GCT models. Here, we report the frst clinical case series of cabazitaxel treatment for platinum- refractory GCT. Methods Data of multiply relapsed GCT patients receiving single-agent cabazitaxel were retrospectively analysed. End- points included 12-week progression-free survival (PFS) rate, disease control rate, tumour marker responses, median PFS and OS, and toxicity. Results Cabazitaxel showed limited activity in 13 heavily pre-treated GCT patients. After a median follow-up of 23 weeks (IQR 29), 69% of patients were deceased. A median of 2 cycles of cabazitaxel (range 1–7) were applied. The 12-week PFS rate was 31%. Median PFS and OS were 7 and 23 weeks, respectively. Two patients achieved objective responses (15%), three patients (23%) achieved a tumour marker decline ≥ 50%, and the disease control rate was 39%. Cabazitaxel was well tolerated. CTCAE° III–IV haemato-toxicity was most common (54%), and dose reductions were scarce (15%). Conclusion In this case series, cabazitaxel showed limited activity in heavily pre-treated GCT patients. Two-phase II studies are underway (NCT02115165, NCT02478502) prospectively assessing cabazitaxel in multiply relapsed GCTs. Keywords Testicular cancer · Germ-cell tumour · Germ-cell cancer · Refractory · Cisplatin resistance · Cabazitaxel · Taxane resistance * Christoph Oing c.oing@uke.de 1 Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Division of Pneumology, Department of Oncology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany 2 Laboratory of Radiation Biology and Experimental Radiation Oncology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany 3 Division of Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Translational Oncogenomics Group, The Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK 4 Department of Haematology and Oncology, Red Cross Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany 5 Department of Medical Oncology and Haematology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland 6 Department of Internal Medicine III, Klinikum Suedstadt Rostock, Rostock, Germany 7 Department of Internal Medicine II, Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria 8 Charité Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Berlin, Germany 9 Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany 10 Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany 11 Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology and Oncology, Vivantes Hospital am Urban, Berlin, Germany 12 Department of Medical Oncology, National Centre for Tumour Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany