Early response to chemotherapy as an indicator for the management of germinoma-like tumors of the pineal and/or suprasellar regions

Management trends and outcomes of pineal germinoma in a multi-institutional Australian cohort

Pineal germinoma is rare with high cure rates following craniospinal radiotherapy. Efforts to reduce the radiotherapy dose and field via combination with chemotherapy suggest comparable disease control and reduced neurocognitive impairments, while the efficacy of immunotherapy in pineal germinoma remains undetermined. This report aimed to review clinical outcomes in patients treated for pineal germinoma in Queensland, Australia, and assess for Programmed Death-Ligand1 (PD-L1) expression. Patients who commenced radiation and/or chemotherapy for pineal germinoma from 2005 to 2017 were retrospectively identified using Queensland Oncology Online database. Demographic, diagnostic, treatment, and outcome data was obtained from electronic medical records. PD-L1 immuno-histochemistry was performed on available specimens. Eighteen patients with long-term follow-up data were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 16.8 years (range 9-46 years). Diagnosis was made histologically in fifteen patients, and radiologically in three. All patients underwent radiotherapy (median 36 Gy (range 21-54 Gy)) with lower median dose delivered with whole ventricle irradiation (12/18patients) than craniospinal irradiation (5/18patients). Sixteen patients received chemotherapy preceding radiotherapy. All patients are alive at median 7.25 years from primary treatment completion (range 2.03-13.1 years). Relapse occurred in three patients (16.67%) following treatment response, all of whom achieved remission following high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell support and craniospinal radiotherapy. Post-treatment functional outcomes were similarly excellent. PD-L1 expression was low (1-49% cells) or negative in 87% of tumours tested but results were confounded by specimen quality and availability. Reduced-dose radiotherapy with chemotherapy does not compromise outcome and is standard of care at this institution. Immunotherapy is unlikely to become standard treatment in the near future.

Identification of characteristic features of pineal germinoma that enhance accuracy of preoperative differentiation in pineal region tumors: its significance on optimum surgical treatment

The aim of the study is to identify characteristic features of pineal germinoma that enhance preoperative accuracy in differentiating germinoma from other pineal region tumors. Twenty-one consecutive patients with pineal region tumors were enrolled. In all patients, tumor resection was performed to verify the histology. Clinical records including upward gaze palsy of Parinaud's syndrome and neuroimaging were analyzed. In addition, we evaluated the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and tumor progression patterns in pineal germinoma. Among 21 patients, 15 patients were diagnosed with germ cell tumor, 4 with pineal parenchymal cell tumor, and 2 with meningioma. Upward gaze palsy was seen in 11 patients; nine had pure germinomas and two had mixed germ cell tumors. These tumors occupied the pineal region with extension to the area of the mesodiencephalic junction (MDJ) and the bi-epithalamic area between the bilateral pulvinar and the third ventricle. Tumor involvement of the former area could cause upward gaze palsy by insulting the rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus located in the MDJ area. Tumor invasion into the latter area is commonly seen as a cardioid-shaped tumor as the tumor image on the axial MRI view. Upward gaze palsy and a cardioid-shaped tumor image on the axial MRI views were demonstrated to be specific features of pineal pure germinoma. It is suggested that combination of both features may become useful tools to preoperatively differentiate germinoma from other pineal tumors, resulting in achievement of the optimum treatment of pineal region tumors.

Extremely Late Recurrence 21 Years after Total Removal of Immature Teratoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Immature teratoma (IMT) is normally treated by resection and adjuvant therapy. The present unusual case of recurrent germinoma occurred 21 years after total resection of pineal IMT. A 3-year-old boy presented with headache, disturbance of consciousness, and Parinaud's syndrome. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a pineal mass lesion, and total resection of the tumor was achieved. The histological diagnosis was mature teratoma. He did not receive further treatment, and did well without recurrence for 20 years. However, he suffered headache 21 years after resection, and MR imaging revealed a homogeneously enhanced pineal mass with low minimum apparent diffusion coefficient value and proton MR spectroscopy showed a huge lipid peak. The levels of tumor markers were not elevated. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology found atypical cells with large nuclei and irregularly shaped nucleoli. To elucidate the relationship between the primary and recurrent tumors, we reviewed the histological specimens and CSF cytology at the initial treatment and found a subset of incompletely differentiated components resembling fetal tissues in the histological specimen and atypical large cells in the CSF. Based on these radiological and histological findings, we presume that the recurrent disease was disseminated germinoma after the resection of disseminated IMT. He received chemotherapy and craniospinal radiation therapy, and the enhanced lesion and atypical cells in the CSF disappeared. This case demonstrates that disseminated IMT can be controlled for the long term without adjuvant therapy, but may recur as germinoma. Tumor dormancy may account for this unusual course.

Disease characteristics and survival outcomes of extragonadal primary germ cell tumour in two Canadian tertiary cancer centres

INTRODUCTION

Extragonadal germ cell tumours (EGCTs) are a heterogeneous group with distinct natural history and responses to treatment modalities. We sought to evaluate characteristics and survival outcomes in men with EGCTs.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis on a consecutive list of men diagnosed with EGCT in two Albertan cancer centres between 1990 and 2013. Demographic characteristics and outcomes, stratified by primary site, were evaluated.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine cases were identified. The median age was 29 (range 15-76) and 48 cases (70%) were non-seminomatous. Twenty-four (35%) belonged to International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) favourable risk group, 14 (20%) to intermediate, and 31 (45%) to poor. Thirty (43%) had mediastinal primary (MPs); 29 were treated with first-line bleomycin, etopo-side, and cisplatin (BEP). Seventeen (57%) relapses occurred, of which three patients achieved long-term survival. Seventeen (25%) had a central nervous system (CNS) primary, with eight (47%) classic germinoma. Seven (41%) received primary chemotherapy alone; 5 (29%) received primary radiotherapy alone, and 5 (29%) received both. Nineteen (28%) had a retroperitoneal primary (RPs) and received first-line chemotherapy; all but two received BEP and eight (42%) had surgical resection. Three (5%) had other or unknown primary. Five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival for all patients were 56% and 44%, respectively; for MPs, 44% and 34%; for CNS primary, 76% and 53%; for RPs, 58% and 53%. Factors that correlated with decreased OS were elevated alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (p<0.001) or human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) (p=0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (p=0.028), bone metastasis (p<0.001), lung metastasis (p<0.001), and IGCCCG poor risk (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

EGCT is a rare, but important subset of GCT. Patients with EGCTs, despite aggressive treatments, still have poorer outcomes than gonadal primary.

MRI and MR spectroscopy findings of the evolution of an intracranial germinoma: A case report

Intracranial germinomas (IG) are rare tumors that typically occur in the pineal gland and suprasellar region of the brain. IG can be successfully treated with radiation therapy and its recurrence is rare. The present study reports the case of a patient with IG involving the pineal and suprasellar regions. The patient was treated with radiotherapy, achieving significant remission. However, recurrence was discovered 10 months later. The patient was subsequently treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, resulting in gradual remission. The patient had recovered 2 months later and was in good health. The entire evolution process, including magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR spectroscopy findings, are described herein. The present case suggests that MR spectroscopy may be useful for monitoring the effects of treatment.