Primary Cerebral Germinoma in Children — French Society of Paediatric Oncology (SFOP) Experience

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the French Society of Paediatric Oncology (SFOP) experience of primary cerebral germinoma in children. Cerebral germinoma has a good prognosis with radiotherapy alone. In this study, prophylactic craniospinal radiation was replaced by chemotherapy, with only local radiotherapy being performed. Since 1990, patients with cerebral germinoma have been receiving one cycle of chemotherapy and being re-evaluated. If they have a good response after chemotherapy, they receive a second cycle before local irradiation. Only patients with metastatic disease or tumor cells in the CSF receive craniospinal radiation. Patients with nonsecreting pineal tumors in whom biopsy was refused have the same plan. Seventeen patients were registered in this study, four did not have histopathological diagnosis, and six patients had two separate locations and were considered as nonmetastatic patients. Three patients had metastatic locations or tumor cells in the CSF. All the patients had a good response after the first cycle of chemotherapy. Sixteen including two metastatic patients are in first complete remission with a median follow-up of 19 months.