What is childhood extracranial germ cell tumor?
Germ cells are reproductive cells that develop into testicles in males and ovaries in females. Sometimes these cells travel to other areas of the body, such as the chest, abdomen, or brain, and may turn into a rare type of cancer called germ cell tumor. This summary covers germ cell tumors that occur extracranially (everywhere but in the brain). Extracranial germ cell tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Most germ cell tumors are benign and are very rare in children younger than age 15. Germ cell tumors of early childhood have biological characteristics which are different than those that occur in adolescents and young adults. The location of the tumor and the age of the child make a difference on how the tumor is treated.
