Pinto Mariana Tomazini, Cárcano Flavio Mavignier, Vieira Ana Glenda Santarosa, Cabral Eduardo Ramos Martins, Lopes Luiz Fernando
Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos 14784400, Brazil.
Brazilian Childhood Germ Cell Tumor Study Group, The Brazilian Pediatric Oncology Society (SOBOPE), Barretos 14784400, Brazil.
Cancers (Basel). 2021 May 13;13(10):2349. doi: 10.3390/cancers13102349.
Cancer is a leading cause of death by disease in children and the second most prevalent of all causes in adults. Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) make up 0.5% of pediatric malignancies, 14% of adolescent malignancies, and are the most common of malignancies in young adult men. Although the biology and clinical presentation of adult TGCTs share a significant overlap with those of the pediatric group, molecular evidence suggests that TGCTs in young children likely represent a distinct group compared to older adolescents and adults. The rarity of this cancer among pediatric ages is consistent with our current understanding, and few studies have analyzed and compared the molecular basis in childhood and adult cancers. Here, we review the major similarities and differences in cancer genetics, cytogenetics, epigenetics, and chemotherapy resistance between pediatric and adult TGCTs. Understanding the biological and molecular processes underlying TGCTs may help improve patient outcomes, and fuel further investigation and clinical research in childhood and adult TGCTs.
癌症是儿童疾病死亡的主要原因，在成人中是所有死因中第二常见的。睾丸生殖细胞肿瘤（TGCTs）占儿童恶性肿瘤的0.5%，青少年恶性肿瘤的14%，并且是年轻成年男性中最常见的恶性肿瘤。尽管成人TGCTs的生物学特性和临床表现与儿童组有很大重叠，但分子证据表明，与年龄较大的青少年和成人相比，幼儿期的TGCTs可能代表一个不同的群体。这种癌症在儿童期的罕见性与我们目前的认识一致，很少有研究分析和比较儿童癌症与成人癌症的分子基础。在这里，我们综述了儿童和成人TGCTs在癌症遗传学、细胞遗传学、表观遗传学和化疗耐药性方面的主要异同。了解TGCTs背后的生物学和分子过程可能有助于改善患者预后，并推动对儿童和成人TGCTs的进一步研究和临床研究。
