Treatment outcome of primary central nervous system germ cell tumors after combined therapy: a report of 23 cases

• Published in: Ai zheng = Aizheng = Chinese journal of cancer Vol. 27; no. 4; p. 438
• Main Authors: Yang, Qun-Ying, Sun, Xiao-Fei, Huang, Hui-Qiang, Zhen, Zi-Jun, Xia, Yi, Cai, Qing-Qing, Ling, Jia-Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.04.2008
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Bleomycin - therapeutic use; Central Nervous System Neoplasms - mortality; Central Nervous System Neoplasms - therapy; Cisplatin - therapeutic use; Combined Modality Therapy; Etoposide - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Male; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal - mortality; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal - therapy; Survival Rate

Primary central nervous system (CNS) germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare malignant neoplasms with various histological types. Excluding pure germinoma and mature teratoma, other types carry a poor prognosis. Previous investigations focused on combined modality treatment including chemotherapy to improve survival. This study was to analyze the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy combined with surgery and/or radiotherapy on CNS GCTs. A total of 23 patients with CNS GCTs were treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from May 2002 to Jun. 2006. The median age at diagnosis was 16 years. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and/or beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) levels were elevated in 19 patients (82.6%). All patients were treated with chemotherapy of PEB regimen combined with surgery and/or radiotherapy. PEB regimen was administered every 3 weeks with 20 mg/m(2) cisplatin (DDP) at Days 1-5 or 80-100 mg/m(2) at Day 1, 60-100 mg/m(2) etoposide (VP-16) or teniposide (VM-26) at Days 1-5, 10 mg/m(2) bleomycin