What is mediastinal germ cell tumor?

What is mediastinal germ cell tumor?

Mediastinal germ cell tumors are a heterogeneous group of benign and malignant neoplasms that originate from primitive germ cells left in the mediastinum during early embryogenesis. The anterior mediastinum is the most common extragonadal primary site of germ cell tumors.

What is the survival rate of mediastinal tumor?

Five-year overall survival rate of patients who had tumors localized at the mediastinum, metastasized to lungs or distant sites were 72%, 45%, and 0, respectively, P = 0.005.

Is mediastinal seminoma curable?

Mediastinal seminomas are a relatively rare malignant disorder that is best treated by an interprofessional team. These tumors are usually curable with aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. Surgical intervention is used in some cases when the tumor is small and localized.

Are mediastinal tumors cancerous?

In children, tumors are commonly found in the posterior (back) mediastinum. These mediastinal tumors often begin in the nerves and are typically not cancerous. In adults, most mediastinal tumors occur in the anterior (front) mediastinum and are generally malignant (cancerous) lymphomas or thymomas.

What does Extragonadal mean?

Listen to pronunciation. (EK-struh-goh-NA-dul) An area of the body other than the ovaries or testes.

Can mediastinal tumor be removed?

We can remove a mediastinal tumor in several ways. The most common are: Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS): We use a camera that projects images on a monitor to observe the chest cavity. This helps us remove the mediastinal or lung tumors.

What percentage of mediastinal masses are malignant?

Although relatively uncommon, the precise incidence of mediastinal masses remains unclear due to lack of ubiquity in classification and definition reported in medical literature. Most tend to be benign with approximately 25% found to be malignant.

Are all germ cell tumors malignant?

Germ cell tumors may be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). Although germ cells are usually in the reproductive organs, these cells can sometimes travel to other parts of the body and cause tumors, called extragonadal germ cell tumors.

Is germ cell tumor curable?

Germ cell tumours generally respond very well to chemotherapy. Most people are cured. Even cancers that have spread are still very treatable with chemotherapy.

How do you treat germ cell tumors?

Treatment options for germ cell tumors may include surgery to remove the tumor, chemotherapy with drugs that kill cancer cells and radiation therapy with powerful energy beams.

Can germ cell tumors spread?

Germ cell tumors may spread to other parts of the body, such as the chest, abdomen, or tailbone. These growths are known as extragonadal tumors. Germ cell tumors can also develop in a child’s brain or spinal cord, in particular the brain’s pineal gland.

What causes mediastinal tumors?

In the front of the mediastinum, tumors can be caused by : lymphoma, including Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. thymoma and thymic cyst (a tumor of the thymus) thyroid mass mediastinal (generally a benign growth, but can sometimes be cancerous)