[Treatment outcome of children and adolescents with germ cell tumor after combined therapy---a report of 44 cases].
OBJECTIVE
The overall survival rate of children and adolescents with germ cell tumor is more than 75% after adopting combined therapy. However, the prognosis varies with stage, pathologic type, and primary tumor site. This study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of children and adolescents with germ cell tumor, and to investigate the prognostic factors and therapeutic strategy.


METHODS
Clinical characteristics, treatment outcome, and prognostic factors of 44 children and adolescents with germ cell tumor, treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Jan. 1997 to Dec. 2005, were analyzed. Survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
Of the 44 patients, 25 received adjuvant chemotherapy after operation; 1 received operation alone; 18 received induction chemotherapy. Of the 18 patients, 7 received tumor resection after chemotherapy; 2 patients with primary mediastinal chorioepithelioma with multiple metastases received radiotherapy on residual disease after chemotherapy; 1 patient with postoperative abdominal metastasis and 1 with postoperative lung metastasis achieved complete remission after chemotherapy; 1 patient with mediastinal sinus tumor achieved partial remission after chemotherapy; 6 had poor response to chemotherapy and died of disease progression. Chemotherapy-treated patients received platinum-containing regimens for 2-7 cycles. The median follow-up was 32 months. The overall 3-year survival rate was 84.8%. The 3-year survival rate was 100% for stage I-II patients, 83.3% for stage III patients, 65.6% for stage IV patients, and 66.7% for relapsed patients. For previously untreated patients, the 3-year survival rate was 96.0% for gonadal germ cell tumor patients and 61.0% for extragonadal germ cell tumor patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgery combined with platinum-containing chemotherapy can improve efficacy and survival of children and adolescents with germ cell tumor. For the patients with stage IV, relapsed, and metastatic tumors, novel therapeutic regimens with increased dose intensity need further investigation.
Sun
Xiao-Fei
XF
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China. gzsunxf@yahoo.com.cn
Yang
Qun-Ying
QY
Zhen
Zi-Jun
ZJ
Xia
Yi
Y
Huang
Zhi-Hui
ZH
Ling
Jia-Yu
JY
D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D013724:Teratoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001761:Bleomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin