Salvage treatment for children with relapsed/refractory germ cell tumors: The Associazione Italiana Ematologia Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP) experience.

Background Malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs) are a heterogeneous group of rare neoplasms in children. Optimal outcome is achieved with multimodal therapies for patients with both localized and advanced disease, especially after the introduction of platinum-based chemotherapy regimens. In this respect, data on salvage treatment for children with relapsed or platinum-refractory disease are still limited. Methods Retrospective analysis of data regarding patients affected by malignant GCTs with platinum-refractory or relapsed disease after first-line treatment according to AIEOP TCGM 2004 protocol was conducted. Results Twenty-one patients, 15 females and 6 males, were considered for the analys…