title: Pediatric malignant germ cell tumors: A comparison of the neuro-oncology and solid tumor experience.
abstract: Malignant germ cell tumors (GCT) arise from abnormal migration of primordial germ cells and are histologically identical whether they occur inside or outside the central nervous system (CNS). However, the treatment strategy for GCTs varies greatly depending on the location of the tumor. These differences are in part due to the increased morbidity of surgery in the CNS but may also reflect differential sensitivity of the tumors to chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) or not-yet-understood biologic differences between these tumors. Historically, specialists caring for extracranial and intracranial GCT in the United States have practiced separately without much cross communication. The focus of this review is a discussion of differences between the management of CNS and extra-CNS GCTs and opportunities for collaboration and future research.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Brain Tumors Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. Ashley.plant@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Ashley S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Plant
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Solid Tumor Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Susan N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Brain Tumors Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frazier
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000628:therapy*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
keywords: autologous stem cell transplant; chemotherapy; germ cell tumor; growing teratoma syndrome; immature teratoma; radiation therapy