title: Long-term outcome of patients with intracranial germinoma.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osuka
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokuuye
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akine
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumura
mesh_terms: 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