Surgical treatment of malignant mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of surgical treatment for mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (MNSGCT) and identify the factors of long-term survival.


METHODS
A retrospective review of the medical records of patients with primary MNSGCT who registered at our institute between 1988 and 2005 was performed. Of 29 patients who presented with primary MNSGCT, 21 patients (72.4%) underwent curative resection and were included in this study.


RESULTS
All patients were male and symptomatic at presentation. Mean patient age was 24.4 years (range, 9 to 53 years). Three different regimens were used for preoperative chemotherapy, and 14 patients (66.7%) achieved partial response, 4 (19.0%) had stable disease, and 2 (9.5%) had progressive disease. Complete en bloc excision was possible in 16 patients (76.2%). The most common cause of incomplete resection was great vessel invasion (n = 3). Concomitantly resected organs were lung in 13 patients (61.9%) and superior vena cava in 5 (23.8%). Viable germ cell tumor was identified in pathology specimens in 12 (57.1%), total necrosis in 7 (33.3%), and remnant teratoma in 2 (9.5%). Five-year overall and disease-free survivals were 63.6% and 61.1%. Risk factors for poor overall survival by multivariate analysis were beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-HCG) elevation at initial diagnosis (p = 0.02) and incomplete resection (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical resection of MNSGCT after chemotherapy showed favorable long-term survival. Complete resection should be performed to achieve long-term survival. An elevated beta-HCG level at initial diagnosis was associated with a poor prognosis despite multimodality therapy.
Kang
Chang Hyun
CH
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. chkang@snu.ac.kr
Kim
Young Tae
YT
Jheon
Sang-Hoon
SH
Sung
Sook-whan
SW
Kim
Joo Hyun
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human