Radiation Oncology/Germ cell

Germ Cell Tumors

Overview

 * Germ cells originate in the yolk sac endoderm
 * During embryonal development, they migrate around the hindgut to the urogenital ridge
 * Germ cell tumors arise either after normal migration (in testes or ovaries) or after abnormal migration in midline structures (e.g. CNS, mediastinum, retroperitoneum)
 * Degree of differentiation determines the histologic type
 * Suppressed differentiation: Germinoma (germinoma/seminoma/dysgerminoma)
 * Differentiation: Non-Germinomatous Germ Cell Tumors (NGGCT/NSGCT/Nondysgerminoma)
 * Embryonic differentiation:
 * Embryonal Carcinoma
 * Teratoma: Mature or Immature
 * Extra-embryonic differentiation
 * Choriocarcinoma
 * Yolk Sac Tumor (Endodermal Sinus Tumor)
 * Mixed Germ Cell tumors
 * Germ cell tumors have the same morphologic and histologic appearance regardless of whether they originate in the gonads or in extra-gonadal sites
 * Serum half-life:
 * bHCG: 1-1.5 days
 * AFP: 5-7 days

Chapters

 * Testicular Germ Cell Tumors
 * Seminoma
 * Non-Seminomatous Germ Cell Tumors
 * Ovarian GCTs
 * Dysgerminoma
 * Nondysgerminomas
 * CNS Germ Cell Tumors
 * CNS Germinoma
 * CNS Nongerminomatous Germ Cell Tumors
 * Sacrococcygeal Germ Cell Tumors
 * Mediastinum
 * See: Extragonadal germ cell tumors
 * Seminomas
 * Non-Seminomatous Germ Cell Tumors

Official Guidelines

 * Germ Cell Tumors: Official Guidelines