Results of Biopsy-Proven Sellar Germ Cell Tumors: Nine Years' Experience in a Single Center.

BACKGROUND

The biopsy is recognized as the most accurate method to determine the histologic characterization of sellar germ cell tumors. It is difficult to evaluate the prognosis before histologic confirmation.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the independent prognostic risk factors of patients with sellar germ cell tumors (GCTs).

METHODS

From January 2008 to December 2015, 61 patients who were histologically diagnosed as having sellar GCTs were followed up and were included in this retrospective study.

RESULTS

Of 61 patients in this study, 40 (65.6%), 10 (16.4%), and 11 (18.0%) were diagnosed as having pure germinomas, germinomas with syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells and non-germinomatous GCTs (NGGCTs), respectively. The patients with pure germinomas had a significantly better overall survival time than did those with NGGCT (56.47 ± 3.01 months vs. 43.09 ± 10.58 months; P = 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that the independent poor prognostic risk factors of patients with sellar GCTs were diameters >15 mm (odds ratio [OR], 7.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.01-27.19), octamer-binding transcription positivity (OR, 5.97; 95% CI, 1.40-25.48), and NGGCT (OR, 11.88; 95% CI, 2.37-59.50), whereas the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy was associated with a better prognosis (OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.04-0.55).

CONCLUSIONS

Diameter >15 mm, octamer-binding transcription positivity, or NGGCT was associated with a poorer prognosis for patients with sellar GCTs, whereas the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy was associated with a better prognosis.