Chou YC, Wu YY, Hung SP, et al. - Short-course induction chemotherapy followed by low-dose radiotherapy to the whole ventricle without a tumor bed boost may be a beneficial treatment strategy for some children suffering from primary central nervous system (CNS) germinoma. Validity of findings required to be corroborated in a randomized phase II study for children with beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) concentrations <5 mIU/mL.

• This retrospective study included 24 patients with primary CNS germinomas.

• Patients had undergone short-course induction chemotherapy (2 cycles of cisplatin 20 mg/m ² plus etoposide 40 or 100 mg/m ² for 5 days) followed by low-dose radiotherapy (dose: 2340 cGy) without a tumor bed boost.

• Remission following induction chemotherapy was achieved in 16 cases.

• In patients with increased and normal β-hCG levels, complete response rates were 40.0% and 72.2%, respectively.

• Subsequently, patients received low-dose radiotherapy without a tumor bed boost to either the whole ventricle (n=16) or the whole brain (n=8), leading to complete remission in all participants.

• Less favorable 5-year disease-free survival rates were observed in patients with β-hCG-secreting germinomas vs those without increased β-hCG levels (60% vs 100%).