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Emerging Therapeutic Targets for Male Germ Cell Tumors

  • Genitourinary Cancers (DP Petrylak and JW Kim, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Oncology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Male germ cell tumors (GCTs) are curable cancers, yet 10–15 % of patients with metastatic disease fail cisplatin-based first-line treatments. While therapeutic options have increased for various other cancers, little progress has been made in the management of GCT in the last decades. A better understanding of the molecular alterations underlying the disease and identification of new therapeutic targets are needed. Several phase I/II studies with promising new agents are ongoing or have been completed, but most of those trials have been small and have not included translational research. Therefore, molecular profiles predictive for response or new agents have not been identified in male GCT so far. The purpose of this review is to highlight emerging targets and therapies with the potential to improve systemic treatment of metastatic male GCT and to develop strategies for future clinical trials.

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Christian Daniel Fankhauser, Friedemann Honecker, Jörg Beyer, and Peter Karl Bode declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Department of Urology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland

    Christian Daniel Fankhauser

  2. Tumor and Breast Center ZeTuP St. Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 150, St. Gallen, 9006, Switzerland

    Friedemann Honecker

  3. Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland

    Jörg Beyer

  4. Institute of Surgical Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland

    Peter Karl Bode

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  1. Christian Daniel Fankhauser
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Correspondence to Jörg Beyer.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Genitourinary Cancers

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Fankhauser, C.D., Honecker, F., Beyer, J. et al. Emerging Therapeutic Targets for Male Germ Cell Tumors. Curr Oncol Rep 17, 54 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-015-0479-4

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