Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Germ-Cell Tumors and Other Adult Solid Tumors

High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation has been used in chemosensitive solid tumor malignancies such as refractory or relapsed germ-cell tumors (GCT) for the past 25 years. Its application has fallen out of favor for other solid tumors such as breast cancer. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant for solid tumors remains investigational, and any potential benefit remains unclear in this era of new targeted and immune-mediated therapies. Long-term results of prospective trials in patients with relapsed or with refractory GCT indicate that a fraction of them achieve long-term remissions consistent with cures. Validated prognostic models allow for identification of poor-risk patients that might benefit from novel HDC-based approaches.