TREATMENT OF INTRACRANIAL NONGERMINOMATOUS MALIGNANT GERM-CELL TUMORS PRODUCING ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN

WE TREATED 10 patients with intracranial nongerminomatous malignant germ cell tumors producing alpha-fetoprotein between 1969 and 1992. Two patients were treated with radiotherapy (RT) only (RT group), and three were treated with RT and cisplatin plus vinblastine plus bleomycin therapy with or without surgery (cisplatin plus vinblastine plus bleomycin group). The most recently treated five patients received cisplatin plus etoposide (PE) therapy with or without RT and/or surgery (PE group). The level of alpha-fetoprotein in serum was elevated in all 10 patients. In the PE group, PE therapy consisted of cisplatin (20 mg/m(2)) and etoposide (60 mg/m(2)) daily for 5 days (one course) given two to three times at 4-week intervals and then once every 4 months; the patients received three to six courses (mean, 4.2 courses). In the RT group (n = 2), one patient died 3 months after diagnosis and the other died at 12 months. In the cisplatin plus vinblastine plus bleomycin group (n = 3), complete remission was obtained in one. patient, but the other two patients died 12 and 24 months after diagnosis. In contrast, in the PE group (n = 5), complete remission was obtained in all patients who are all currently alive without recurrence, at 35 to 71 months (average, 53.6 mo) after diagnosis. The results indicate that multidisciplinary treatment including combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide with or without surgery and/or RT is highly effective in the treatment of patients with alpha-fetoprotein-producing intracranial nongerminomatous malignant germ cell tumor.