Intracranial germinoma: the case for lower dose radiation therapy

To determine the optimal dose and treatment outcome of patients treated with radiation for intracranial germinoma.

Between 1975 and 1995, 40 patients with the diagnosis of intracranial germinoma were treated with radiation (RT) to the central nervous system. All patients received whole-brain (WB) RT (median dose: 32.4 Gy, range: 15-44.37 Gy) and a boost to the tumor volume (median total tumor volume dose: 52 Gy, range: 45-59.5 Gy). Thirty patients received RT to the spine (median dose: 26 Gy, range: 18.75-37.5 Gy). Four patients were treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy and WB RT with a boost to the tumor volume (dose range: 51-54 Gy). A low-dose RT only group was defined as < or = 25.5 Gy to the WB (9 patients); < 50 Gy to the primary site (14 patients); and < 22 Gy to the spine (9 patients). Seventeen tumors were biopsy-proven germinoma, and 17 patients presented with multiple midline germinomas (MMG). Among 26 patients who had tumor markers measured, 27% had elevation of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and by definition, no patient had an elevation of AFP. Twenty-four percent of 26 patients who had spine imaging or cerebral spinal fluid cytology had evidence of tumor seeding at diagnosis. The male to female ratio was 1.9:1. Median age at diagnosis was 14 years for male patients and 9.5 years for female patients (p = 0.02), (overall age ranges: 0.5-31 years). Median follow-up was 62 months (range: 3-226 months). Late effects of 29 patients with follow-up of > or = 20 months and adequate documentation in their medical records were analyzed.

The 5-year actuarial rate of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for biopsy-proven germinomas and presumed germinomas was 97%. No patient died of germinoma. There were no local failures regardless of the dose of RT, elevation of HCG tumor marker, or CSF dissemination at presentation. At presentation 22 patients had evidence of at least one endocrine abnormality. At follow-up there were no new patients diagnosed with an endocrine abnormality; however, 13 out of 22 patients had an increase in the number of endocrine deficiencies requiring hormone replacement. At presentation, 14 patients showed evidence of growth retardation. At follow-up there were no new cases of growth failure in the remaining patients.

Germinomas are highly curable with RT alone. Lower doses of RT to the craniospinal axis without chemotherapy appear to produce equally effective DFS and OS as do higher doses of RT or combination chemotherapy and RT. Craniospinal RT may be indicated for patients with MMG or patients with evidence of spinal seeding. Long-term effects of growth retardation, and other endocrine deficiencies appear to be correlated with disease at presentation rather than solely with treatment.