Pediatric Germ Cell Tumors; A 10-year Experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Surgical Pathology
• Tumor Biology

Background:

• Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are a diverse group of neoplasms.
• Understanding GCT outcomes is crucial for effective treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with germ cell tumors.
• To identify prognostic factors influencing survival in GCT patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective descriptive study of 44 patients with pathologically diagnosed GCT.
• Data collected included demographics, tumor site, pathology, treatment, and outcomes.
• Survival analysis utilized Kaplan-Meier curves; SPSS v16.0 was used for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• The cohort comprised 32 girls and 12 boys; median age was 23 months.
• Mature teratomas (40.9%) and yolk sac tumors (31.8%) were most common.
• Extra-gonadal tumors were prevalent (32 cases), with sacrococcygeal being most frequent (47.7%).
• Complete remission was achieved in 77.5% of patients; mortality was highest in yolk sac tumors.
• Median survival was 16 months; extra-gonadal GCT and high AFP levels indicated a poorer prognosis.

Conclusions:

• Extra-gonadal GCTs and elevated AFP levels are associated with significantly worse prognosis.
• A combined treatment approach involving surgery and chemotherapy offers a better survival outlook.