title: Incidence patterns and trends of malignant gonadal and extragonadal germ cell tumors in Germany, 1998-2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant gonadal (GGCT) and extragonal germ cell tumors [GCT (EGCT)] are thought to originate from primordial germ cells. In contrast to well reported population-based data of GGCTs in males, analyses of GGCTs in females and EGCTs in both sexes remain limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a pooling project of nine population-based cancer registries in Germany for the years 1998-2008, 16,883 malignant GCTs and their topographical sites were identified using ICD-O morphology and topography for persons aged 15 years and older. We estimated age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among males, the incidence of testicular GCTs increased over time. In contrast, there was no increase in the incidence of EGCTs. Among females, rates of ovarian GCTs were stable, while rates of EGCTs declined over time. The most frequent extragonadal sites were mediastinum among males and placenta among females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results underline different incidence trends and distinct age-specific incidence patterns of malignant GGCTs and EGCTs, as reported recently by several population-based registries. The differences suggest that GGCT and EGCT may have different etiologies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 8, 06097 Halle (Saale), Germany. carsten.rusner@medizin.uni-halle.de
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rusner
authors.forename: Britton
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trabert
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katalinic
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kieschke
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Emrich
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult