title: Pineal region germinomas in childhood treatment considerations.
abstract: From 1967-1986, 21 children were treated for pineal germinoma, including 16 biopsy-proven, 2 biopsy non-diagnostic, and 3 metastatic unbiopsied (marker negative) patients. Ten of 18 (56%) biopsied patients underwent partial or sub-total tumor resection. Twenty patients were irradiated, 19 of whom are alive. No irradiated patient died of progressive germinoma, but two patients relapsed in the spinal cord and required treatment intensification for salvage. Long-term survivors have significant morbidity. Determination of the minimum effective treatment remains the chief therapeutic challenge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Hospital For Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jenkin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hendrick
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sonley
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weitzman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology