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.
['Zhang|Yi|Y|', 'Zhu|Huijuan|H|', 'Deng|Kan|K|', 'Ma|Wenbin|W|', 'Wang|Yu|Y|', 'Sun|Jian|J|', 'Lian|Xin|X|', 'Pan|Hui|H|', 'Wang|Renzhi|R|', 'Yao|Yong|Y|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D001706:Biopsy D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D018572:Disease-Free Survival D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007223:Infant D007231:Infant, Newborn D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate D008297:Male D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms D011379:Prognosis D012189:Retrospective Studies D012307:Risk Factors D055815:Young Adult
Sellar germ cell tumors Biopsy Histologic confirmation Independent prognostic risk factors