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.
Keywords: Biopsy; Histologic confirmation; Independent prognostic risk factors; Sellar germ cell tumors.
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