[Combined chemotherapy of CDDP and etoposide in intracranial germinomas]

Two cases with pineal germinomas were treated by the combined chemotherapy of CDDP and etoposide. The first case was a 15-year-old boy who had a pineal tumor of 2.2 x 1.8 cm in diameter. He was given intravenously 25 mg/body of CDDP and 30-60 mg/body of etoposide daily for five days. The tumor had already decreased at two days after starting chemotherapy and disappeared completely just after the first course of chemotherapy. The patient received another course of chemotherapy and focal radiation of 40 Gy to prevent tumor recurrence. The second case was 19-year-old man who had a pineal germinoma associated with CSF dissemination and hydrocephalus. He was also treated by 30 mg/body of CDDP and 80 mg/body of etoposide daily for five days. The tumor size decreased more than 50% just after the first course of chemotherapy, and complete remission was obtained by additional radiation of 6 Gy. From these results, this combined chemotherapy is useful for the treatment of intracranial germinoma, and this makes it possible to discontinue radiation therapy or at least reduce the radiation dose and radiation field.