Primary germ cell tumors of the central nervous system

The study objective is to describe current views on pathogenesis, molecular biology, diagnosis, treatment of primary germ cell tumors of the central nervous system, as well as treatment prognosis.

Materials and methods. The review includes 51 literature sources (4 in Russian, 47 in English). All articles were published in the last 20 years.

Results and conclusion. The review reflects both established principles and characteristics of the national protocol of treatment of germ cell tumors, treatment nuances determined by histological type of the tumor. The most effective treatment method for germ cell tumors are radiation and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. For non-germinal germ cell tumors chemotherapy with subsequent complete removal is optimal. Total tumor resection by itself is the ideal treatment of mature teratomas. In the future, molecular and cytogenetic studies will allow to additionally identify subtypes of germ cell tumors of the central nervous system which will become the basis of new directions for therapy, improved treatment results and methods of prognosis.

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