Surgical treatment of malignant mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of surgical treatment for mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (MNSGCT) and identify the factors of long-term survival.

A retrospective review of the medical records of patients with primary MNSGCT who registered at our institute between 1988 and 2005 was performed. Of 29 patients who presented with primary MNSGCT, 21 patients (72.4%) underwent curative resection and were included in this study.

All patients were male and symptomatic at presentation. Mean patient age was 24.4 years (range, 9 to 53 years). Three different regimens were used for preoperative chemotherapy, and 14 patients (66.7%) achieved partial response, 4 (19.0%) had stable disease, and 2 (9.5%) had progressive disease. Complete en bloc excision was possible in 16 patients (76.2%). The most common cause of incomplete resection was great vessel invasion (n = 3). Concomitantly resected organs were lung in 13 patients (61.9%) and superior vena cava in 5 (23.8%). Viable germ cell tumor was identified in pathology specimens in 12 (57.1%), total necrosis in 7 (33.3%), and remnant teratoma in 2 (9.5%). Five-year overall and disease-free survivals were 63.6% and 61.1%. Risk factors for poor overall survival by multivariate analysis were beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-HCG) elevation at initial diagnosis (p = 0.02) and incomplete resection (p = 0.002).

Surgical resection of MNSGCT after chemotherapy showed favorable long-term survival. Complete resection should be performed to achieve long-term survival. An elevated beta-HCG level at initial diagnosis was associated with a poor prognosis despite multimodality therapy.