title: Primary mediastinal germ cell tumour.
abstract: Testicular germ cell tumour is said to be a model for curable neoplasm. However, the prognosis of primary extragonadal germ cell tumour does not appear to be as promising. Though similar in histology, the biology of primary extragonadal germ cell tumour is different as exemplified by the patients in this review. Eight patients with primary mediastinal germ cell tumours were treated with intensive cisplatin-based chemotherapy. All, except one, had non-seminomatous components. The poor prognosis of mediastinal germ cell tumour is due to a combination of poor treatment results with the cisplatin-based regimen and the development of non-germ cell and haematological malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D018237:Germinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate