Successful treatment of recurrent malignant germ cell tumors: report of two cases

We report two patients with recurrent malignant germ cell tumors who were successfully treated with radiation therapy and cisplatin combination chemotherapy. Patient 1, who had a suprasellar mixed yolk sac tumor, had been free of tumor for 3.5 years after cisplatin/vinblastine/bleomycin combination chemotherapy alone but showed a recurrent tumor in the pineal region. In Patient 2, who had a pineal alpha-fetoprotein-producing tumor, recurrent tumors appeared in the lateral ventricle 3 years after the tumor was controlled by radiation and cisplatin/vinblastine/bleomycin therapy. They were treated successfully again by radiation therapy, followed by cisplatin and etoposide combination therapy, and they have been free of tumor for 5.5 and 7 years after recurrence, respectively. The total dose of cisplatin in both patients exceeded 1,000 mg/m2, which would have contributed to the control of the recurrent tumors. Anterior pituitary dysfunction observed in Patient 1 did not improve, even after tumor disappearance by chemotherapy, suggesting severe damage to the neurohypophysis by direct invasion of the tumor.