Extragonadal germ cell tumors | Prevention and Prognosis
Duration
Unless treated, the tumors of extragonadal germ cell cancer continue to grow. Depending on where it is located, this cancer can eventually spread to the lungs, bones (especially bone) to the liver or other areas.
Prevention
There is no way to prevent cancerous tumors extragonadal germ cell tumors.
When To Call a Professional
Call your doctor whenever you or anyone in your family has some type of cancerous tumor symptom of extragonadal germ cell tumors. Because these tumors are rare, many cancer specialists are inexperienced in treating the disease. If diagnosed extragonadal germ cell tumor, ask your doctor about the availability of consulting a cancer center (where it is cancer) have enough experience.
Forecast
Noncancerous tumors outside the brain are rarely life threatening. Survival for cancerous tumors depends on their location:
- Center of the chest area (mediastinum): in the case of seminomas, long-term survival is approximately 80% in those treated only with radiotherapy. Some studies show that survival may be greater when added to chemotherapy. In the case of non-seminomas, long-term survival is around 50% after chemotherapy, especially if the tumor has invaded the lung areas near the central region of the chest.
- Lower back area (presacral region) even in patients with localized cancer, the survival rate is only about 28%. Decreases to 4% in those where the disease has spread to other organs.
- Head (pineal area) after treatment, long-term survival is greater than 80%.