Intensity modulated radiation therapy to treat primary female mediastinal seminoma and massive pericardial effusion: A case report.

Abstract

Primary mediastinal seminoma is a rare extragonadal germ cell tumour that mainly occurs in males. The present study reports the case of a 27-year-old woman that presented with superior vena cava syndrome and a large mass in the mediastinum, which was diagnosed as primary female mediastinal seminoma. The patient received 6 cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy [4 cycles BEP chemotherapy (120 mg cisplatin, 0.45 g etoposide and 60 mg bleomycin, once every 3 weeks); 2 cycles IEP chemotherapy (120 mg cisplatin, 100 mg epirubicin and 6 g ifosfamide, once every 3 weeks)] and the patient showed an increase in the size of the mediastinal mass and hydropericardium, indicating a resistance to chemotherapy. Radiotherapy to the mediastinum (50 Gy over 18 fractions) and pericardium (30 Gy over 18 fractions) was performed. Following radiotherapy, the patient was considered to have a complete response to the treatment, and subsequent to a 5-year follow-up, no recurrence or metastasis was identified. To the best of our knowledge, no similar cases have been reported in the literature at present.