Primary mediastinal trophoblastic teratomas

Three cases of primary mediastinal trophoblastic teratoma are described. One patient died from respiratory failure during the initial chemotherapy, Another patient with advanced disease is now apparently free from disease after multiple-drug chemotherapy. The third patient is alive and well four years after a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and multiple-drug chemotherapy. In the diagnosis and assessment of response to treatment in these tumours emphasis is placed on the measurement of the tumour cell markers, chorionic gonadotrophin and alpha-fetoprotein, by radioimmunoassay. The efficacy of multiple-drug regimens is discussed together with a review of the literature.