Intracranial germ-cell tumours - Treatment results and residuals

There is only sparse information about the development of children after successful treatment for intracranial germ-cell tumours. Between January 1981 and June 1992, 26 children with intracranial germ-cell rumours were treated in the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf. We report on treatment results, long standing residuals and the ''quality of life'' of these patients. The long-term event-free survival was 88% for the germinomas and 43% for the malignant teratomas. Of the patients 58% had no relevant functional neurological deficits and 37% had mild impairment. Only 1 patient with metastatic disease was severely handicapped. Six patients showed neuro-endocrine dysfunction. All of them had suprasellar/hypothalamic lesions and all received successful substitution therapy. As to neuropsychological functions, 53% of the patients had no or only mild disturbances. The most affected function was speed of information processing. Of the children 69% were able to proceed with their education at the same level as before therapy. The overall self-assessment revealed good results in 75% of the patients. Conclusion After surgical removal and radiation-therapy long-term survival of intracranial germinomas amounts to 88%. Despite craniospinal axis radiation severe residuals are rare and a good quality of life common. In malignant teratomas treatment regimens including chemotherapy are much less successful.