Germ cells are sex cells that eventually become eggs in females and sperm in males. Sometimes germ cells migrate to other parts of the body, such as the abdomen, chest and the brain. Once there, they may turn into a benign growth called teratoma, or a malignant growth called germ cell tumor. Germ cell tumors account for about 2.5 percent of cancers in children younger than 15 and about 14 percent of cancers in kids ages 15 to 19. Chromosomal abnormalities are thought to be a cause of these tumors.
Germ cell tumors can also develop within the brain, especially in the area of the pineal gland. For more information about this form of brain cancer, see the supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal and pineal tumors section.
Germ cell tumors usually contain tissues that are unlike the tissue in its surroundings. Germ cell tumors are either teratomas or malignant growths. Teratomas consist of different types of tissue, including skin, hair and muscle. These tumors are either mature, meaning their cells are well-differentiated and less likely to become cancer, or immature, meaning undifferentiated tissue that can become cancerous.
Copyright © 2000 Oncology.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
