TE12
A randomised trial of single agent carboplatin vs etoposide and cisplatin for advanced metastatic seminoma
Can we reduce unwanted side effects caused by chemotherapy drugs when treating men with testis cancer?
What was this study about?
Men with a testis cancer called seminoma which has spread to other parts of their body (metastatic) are often treated with chemotherapy drugs called etoposide and cisplatin. These drugs cause a lot of unwanted side effects.
The TE12 trial aimed to see whether using a single chemotherapy drug called carboplatin would be as effective as using the two drugs. Carboplatin causes fewer side effects.
What difference did this study make?
This trial closed to recruitment early on the advice of the independent Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee. This was because the committee was concerned about the use of Carboplatin in patients with testis cancer following the results of the TE09 trial. TE09 showed that carboplatin was not as effective as other chemotherapy drugs for treating a different type of testis cancer.
Information collected in this trial was used in a meta-analysis which looked at the effectiveness of different types of chemotherapy drugs in men with this type of testis cancer. Chemotherapy using cisplatin remains the usual treatment for these men.
Type of study
Randomised trial
Contact details
When did it take place?
Men were recruited to take part in this study between 1990 and 1993. The results of the study were published in 2000.
Where did it take place?
UK, The Netherlands & Norway.
Who was included?
130 men with metastatic seminoma cancer took part in this study. They came from 18 hospitals in the UK, the Netherlands and Norway.