Long-term outcome of patients with intracranial germinoma.
OBJECTIVE
This study was to clarify the long-term subjective functional state and the therapeutic factors that may influence the outcome and ADL of patients with intracranial germinoma.


METHODS
Subjects were 19 patients with an average age of 16.5 years. All patients received radiotherapy with a mean dose of 42.8 Gy, while 14 patients also received chemotherapies. After a median follow-up of 137 months (41-271), a written questionnaire was sent to each patient.


RESULTS
Estimated 5- and 10-year event-free survival rates were 78% and 71%, respectively. Recurrence occurred in 5 patients, and 1 patient died of tumor. The extent of surgery did not affect the incidence of recurrence. Chemotherapy remained adjuvant. Radiotherapy administered to the field encompassing the whole ventricle was essential for long-term tumor control. Only one patient complained of a major treatment-related complication at the time of the questionnaire: radiation-induced cavernomas.


CONCLUSIONS
Adverse effects related to treatment are not significant in this study. Radiotherapy of 24 Gy to the field encompassing the whole ventricle is essential, and elective use of chemotherapy and/or additional local boost radiotherapy may prevent recurrence and maintain quality of life (QOL) of the patients for a relatively long period.
Osuka
Satoru
S
Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
Tsuboi
Koji
K
Takano
Shingo
S
Ishikawa
Eiichi
E
Matsushita
Akira
A
Tokuuye
Koichi
K
Akine
Yasuyuki
Y
Matsumura
Akira
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D010870:Pineal Gland; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome