Clinical Features and Prognosis of Primary Mediastinal and Retroperitoneal Germ Cell Tumours Treated with Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the clinical features and prognosis of primary mediastinal and retroperitoneal germ cell tumors treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. It is found that 44 patients were treated with primary extragonadal germ cell tumors. Sixteen nonseminomatous PEGCT arose in the retroperitoneum, 13 in the mediastinum. Hematogeneous dissemination was present in three patients with mediastinal and in 13 patients with retroperitoneal tumors. Human chorionic gonadotropin was elevated in 5 patients with mediastinal and in 12 patients with retroperitoneal nonseminomatous PEGCT. Alpha-fetoprotein was elevated in 12 patients with mediastinal and in eight patients with retroperitoneal tumors. Seven patients with mediastinal nonseminomatous PEGCT attained no evidence of disease status, 1 of whom experienced a late relapse and died; 7 patients with retroperitoneal nonseminomatous PEGCT are alive with NED status. Three seminomas arose in the mediastinum, 12 in the retroperitoneum. HCG was elevated in 7 patients up to 100 U/l and hematogeneous spread was not found in any patient. It was found that 13 patients are alive with NED status. 3 patients with retroperitoneal tumors developed a testicular tumor, all of whom are alive with NED status after orchidectomy.