Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEPrimary intracranial germ cell tumors (PIGCTs) are a group of heterogeneous tumors. It is very difficult to treat those patients without pathological diagnosis. This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and outcomes of patients with clinically diagnosed (without histologically confirmed) PIGCTs in SunYat-sen University Cancer Center.METHODSPatients who were clinically diagnosed as PIGCTs without histological diagnosis through surgical resection or biopsy were included in this study. Patients were analyzed for clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, outcomes and adverse effects.RESULTSFrom May 2002 to July 2014, 74 patients clinically diagnosed with PIGCTs received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. The median age was 16.5 years old (4–45 years old, majority was teenagers). The most of tumors were found in male, and located in the pineal and suprasellar regions. When the patients were grouped into diagnostic chemotherapy group (57 cases), diagnostic radiotherapy group (5 cases) and gamma knife radiosurgery group (12 cases) based on their initial anti-tumor therapy. The 5-year survival rates were 84.3%, 75.0% and 75.0%, respectively. There was a trend that the chemotherapy group got a better survival. Patients were allocated to secretory tumor group (49 cases) and non-secretory tumor group (25 cases) based on their levels of tumor makers (α-FP and β-hCG). The 5- year survival rates were 80% and 77.8% (P value = 0.966), respectively.CONCLUSIONClinical diagnosed PIGCT (without histological confirmation) patients may obtain good responses when receiving comprehensive treatments of chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy.

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