Stages of Childhood Germ Cell Tumor

Executive Summary

The childhood germ cell tumor stages help determine the tumor’s location and metastasis. The staging system for childhood germ cell tumor uses diagnostic tests. There are four stages of childhood germ cell tumor – stages I through IV (one through four). Cancer that has come back after treatment is recurrent cancer. If cancer returns, the doctor performs another round of tests to know the extent of the recurrence.

Stages of Childhood Germ Cell Tumor

Staging is the procedure of determining where the tumor is located, whether it has spread or not, and how it grows. Doctors considers many factors While assessing the cancer stage.

Doctors use diagnostic tests to discover cancer’s stage, so staging may not be complete until conducting all tests. 

The following pathologic stages for germ cell tumors are from the Children’s Oncology Group ^​1​:

Stage I: The tumour has been entirely removed, and tumour markers are standard, or they return to normal after surgery.

Stage II: Microscopic traces of the tumour are still present after surgery. Tumour markers do not return to routine following surgery.

Stage III: Visible traces of tumour are left behind after initial treatment, and the lymph nodes are significantly affected.

Stage IV: The tumour has spread from where it began to other, more distant areas of the body.

Recurrent: Cancer that has come back after treatment is recurrent cancer. If cancer returns, the doctor performs another round of tests to know the extent of the recurrence. These tests and scans are mainly similar to those done at the original diagnosis.

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