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. 1993 May;67(5):1098–1101. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1993.201

Primary malignant mediastinal germ cell tumours: improved prognosis with platinum-based chemotherapy and surgery.

W J Childs 1, P Goldstraw 1, J E Nicholls 1, D P Dearnaley 1, A Horwich 1
PMCID: PMC1968447  PMID: 8494705

Abstract

A retrospective analysis was performed of 18 patients with primary malignant germ cell tumours of the mediastinum treated with platinum-based chemotherapy between 1977 and 1990. All seven patients with pure seminoma were treated initially with chemotherapy and four of these patients received additional mediastinal radiotherapy. Only one patient relapsed; his initial therapy had included radiotherapy and single-agent carboplatin and he was successfully salvaged with combination chemotherapy. With a follow-up of 11 to 117 months (median 41 months) all seven patients with seminoma remain alive and disease free giving an overall survival of 100%. Eleven patients had malignant non seminoma; following chemotherapy eight of these had elective surgical resection of residual mediastinal masses. Complete remission was achieved in nine (82%) patients, however, one of these patients died from bleomycin pneumonitis. With a follow-up of 12 to 113 months (median 55 months) eight of 11 (73%) patients with malignant mediastinal teratoma remain alive and disease free.

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Selected References

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