Teratoma with malignant transformation in germ cell tumors in men.

Pathology reports of over 580 male patients with germ cell tumors treated between 1972 and 1982 were screened for teratomas in which malignant transformation was apparent. The diagnosis was established in 17 cases. The median age was 28 years (range, 14-52). For patients with disease limited to the testis, the median survival has not been reached, with all five patients surviving disease-free at 22+ to 120+ months. Among the 12 patients with metastatic disease, the median survival was 30.5 months (range, 12-69). All 12 patients were treated with cisplatin-containing regimens. Six had complete responses either to chemotherapy alone or to chemotherapy plus resection of residual disease. Four of the six complete responders relapsed, and three died of progressive disease. One patient with sarcomatous differentiation was treated with a doxorubicin-based regimen and had a partial remission, which lasted 8 months. Teratoma with malignant transformation, when found in metastatic sites, appeared to be a poor prognostic pathologic variant in male patients with germ cell tumors.