Current Trends in the Surgical Management of Yolk Sac Tumors

Mediastinal yolk sac tumors (YST) constitute a highly malignant subtype of primary non-seminomatous germ cell tumors, which are often locally advanced and unresectable at diagnosis. Due to their rarity and aggressiveness, there is not yet a standard optimal treatment approach. A widely employed multimodal strategy involves neoadjuvant cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy followed by consolidation surgery. Tumor infiltration into the lungs and adjacent cardiovascular structures is common, such that surgical intervention typically requires extensive resections, performed either by sternotomy or thoracotomy. For this review, we extensively searched the PubMed and Embase medical databases, identifying articles describing surgical treatment of mediastinal yolk sac tumors. The current literature provides limited details regarding the utilized surgical procedures, leaving clinicians without comprehensive guidance about the demanding nature of these resections. Here, we present a narrative description of the range of current surgical procedures. By highlighting these techniques, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current surgical landscape, thereby helping clinicians understand the potential complexities and considerations involved in managing these rare and aggressive tumors.