[Intracranial germ cell tumors: analysis of the therapy study MAKEI 83/86 and changes in protocol for the follow-up...

As part of the Cooperative Germ Cell Tumors Studies MAKEI 83/86 of the German Society of Pediatric Oncology, 37 patients with intracranial germ cell tumors were registered. Based on histological criteria and tumor markers, 26 were classified as germinomas, 9 as fully malignant non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (2 yolk sac tumors, 1 embryonal carcinoma, 1 choriocarcinoma, 5 mixed type germ cell tumors), and 2 were mature teratomas. Of 26 patients with germinomas, 14 received radiotherapy only, all patients are surviving disease-free, median period of observation: 2 years, 10 patients were treated with both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 8 of these patients are surviving disease-free. Of the 2 patients who received chemotherapy only, none is surviving. Of 9 patients with fully malignant non-germinomatous germ cell tumors, 4 are surviving following surgery, cisplatinum-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy more than 2 years following diagnosis, 1 of these 4 patients with stable disease. Of 2 patients with mature teratomas, 1 is surviving disease-free. Based on these data, recommendations for diagnostic evaluation and therapy of intracranial germ cell tumors are outlined.