Two cases with pineal
germinomas were treated by the combined
chemotherapy of CDDP and
etoposide. The first case was a 15-year-old boy who had a
pineal tumor of 2.2 x 1.8 cm in diameter. He was given intravenously 25 mg/body of CDDP and 30-60 mg/body of
etoposide daily for five days. The
tumor had already decreased at two days after starting
chemotherapy and disappeared completely just after the first course of
chemotherapy. The patient received another course of
chemotherapy and focal radiation of 40 Gy to prevent
tumor recurrence. The second case was 19-year-old man who had a pineal
germinoma associated with CSF dissemination and
hydrocephalus. He was also treated by 30 mg/body of CDDP and 80 mg/body of
etoposide daily for five days. The
tumor size decreased more than 50% just after the first course of
chemotherapy, and complete remission was obtained by additional radiation of 6 Gy. From these results, this combined
chemotherapy is useful for the treatment of intracranial
germinoma, and this makes it possible to discontinue
radiation therapy or at least reduce the radiation dose and radiation field.