Five-year treatment outcomes of bifocal intracranial germ cell tumors at Vietnam National Cancer Hospital
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Abstract
Bifocal intracranial germ cell tumor (GCT) are rare clinical entities, characterized by synchronous measurable tumors in both the suprasellar and pineal regions. This present significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in balancing oncological control with quality of life in young patients. This retrospective study of 15 bifocal intracranial germ cell tumor patients treated with induction chemotherapy followed by risk-adapted irradiation at Vietnam National Cancer Hospital from 2020 – 2025. The mean age of 15 male patients was 17 ± 5.8 years old . At diagnosis, 53.3% presented with diabetes insipidus and 53.3% with metastatic disease. A discordance in tumor marker level between serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was observed: 40% (6/15) had elevated CSF β-HCG (> 50 UI/mL), yet only 33.3% (2/6) of these 6 patients showed concurrent serum elevation. One patient had isolated serum AFP elevation. This cohort includes 60% of germinoma and 40% of non-germinoma. The complete response rate increased from 40% after induction chemotherapy to 60% following radiotherapy. At a median follow-up of 44 ± 18 months, progression-free survival rate was 93.3%.
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Keywords
Central nervous system germ cell tumor, germ cell tumor, bifocal, CSI
References
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