Primary Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors: A Study with an Integrated Clinicopathological Approach

Background and Objective: Primary intracranial germ cell tumors (ICGCTs) are rare and are histologically classified as germinomas and non-germinomatous with distinctive prognostic and therapeutic implications. ICGCTs, essentially due to the inherent difficulty of surgical access, pose different challenges and management connotations than their extracranial counterparts. This is a retrospective analysis of histologically verified ICGCTs, which was undertaken to evaluate various clinicopathological features and their implications on patient management. Materials and Methods: Eighty-eight histologically diagnosed cases (over 14 years) of ICGCT at our institute formed the study cohort and were classified into germinoma and non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCTs). Additionally, germinomas were further subdivided on the basis of 1) tumor marker (TM) levels, as germinoma with normal TM, mildly elevated TM, and markedly elevated TM and 2) radiology features, as germinomas with typical radiology and atypical radiological features. Results: ICGCT with age =6 years (P = 0.049), elevated TM (P = 0.047), and NGGCT histology (P < 0.001) showed significantly worse outcomes. Furthermore, germinomas with markedly elevated TM and certain atypical radiological features showed prognosis akin to NGGCT. Conclusions: Analysis of our largest single cancer center Indian patient cohort of ICGCT shows that inclusion of age <= 6 years, raised TM, and certain radiological features may assist clinicians in overcoming the limitations of surgical sampling, with better prognostication of histologically diagnosed germinomas.