Value of tumor markers in the treatment of endodermal sinus tumors and choriocarcinomas in the pineal region.

A case of embryonal carcinoma in the pineal region of a 17-year-old boy is presented. The tumor included elements of choriocarcinoma and endodermal sinus tumor, and the use of human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein as tumor markers is discussed. The markers were demonstrated both within the tumor and in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. The patient was treated with a postoperative program of irradiation and cancer chemotherapy, and at follow-up examination 20 months after operation no signs of residual tumor were present. It is suggested that human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein should be measured in the blood and CSF before the treatment of midline tumors.