title: Germ Cell Tumor's Survival Rate in Young Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Germ cell tumors are neoplasms that originate from multi potential germ cells and can be intra or extra gonadal. According to pathologic classification, they have different subtypes. They account for 3% of pediatric malignancies and most commonly happen in children before the age of 15 years old. Epidemiologic evidence about pediatric germ cell tumors is scant in our region.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of current study was to determine demographic characteristics, recurrence and survival rate of germ cell tumor patients under the age of 21 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 10-year period (1996 - 2006), 106 patients under the age of 21 years suffering from germ cell tumor were admitted to our centers. We extracted the data needed for our study from patients' medical records in the hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty seven boys and 69 girls with a mean age of 8.4 ± 7.8 years were included. Most tumors were diagnosed before the age of one year (37%). The most common pathologic subtype was mature teratoma (44%). Ovary (35%) was the most common primary site. Surgery plus chemotherapy were used to treat 54 patients and BEP was the most common chemotherapy regimen. Metastasis and recurrent tumor were seen in 22% and 8% of cases, respectively. Four-year overall survival was 89%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that demographic characteristics of GCT patients in our population are similar to patients of other geographic regions in the world. Primary tumor site, histologic subtype and metastasis were significant prognostic factors for survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nafiseh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mortazavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Parvin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mahzooni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahshid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jalilian
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Kambiz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Novin
keywords: Germ Cell Tumor; Neoplasms; Survival