EANO, SNO and Euracan consensus review on the current management and future development of intracranial germ cell tumors in adolescents and young adults.

The incidence of intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCT) is much lower in European and North American (E&NA) than in Asian population. However, E&NA cooperative groups have simultaneously developed with success treatment strategies with specific attention paid to long-term sequelae. Neurological sequelae may be reduced by establishing a diagnosis with an endoscopic biopsy and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and/or serum analysis, deferring the need to perform a radical surgery. Depending on markers and/or histological characteristics, patients are treated as either germinoma or non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT). Metastatic disease is defined by a positive CSF cytology and/or distant drops in craniospinal MRI. The combination of surgery and/or chemotherapy and radiation therapy is tailored according to grouping and staging. With more than 90% 5-year event-free survival (EFS), localized germinomas can be managed without aggressive surgery, and benefit from chemotherapy followed by whole ventricular irradiation with local boost. Bifocal germinomas are treated as non-metastatic entities. Metastatic germinomas may be cured with craniospinal irradiation. With a 5-year EFS over 70%, NGGCT benefit from chemotherapy followed by delayed surgery in case of residual disease, and some form of radiotherapy. Future strategies will aim at decreasing long-term side effects while preserving high cure rates.

Lumbar spinal stenosis: can positional therapy alleviate pain?

METHODS: We analyzed a retrospective case series of 52 patients with spinal stenosis confirmed by spinal imaging and walking limitations treated with a wheeled walker set to induce lumbosacral flexion. RESULTS: Of the 52 patients, improvement in ambulation was classified as excellent for 30 (58%), good for 7 (13%), moderate for 8 (16%), and poor for 7 (13%). Among 48 patients with neurogenic pain, pain relief was classified as excellent for 22 (46%), good for 11 (23%), moderate for 7 (14.5%), and poor for 8 (16.5%). CONCLUSIONS: These retrospective data from a case series support the hypothesis that positional therapy with a wheeled walker set to induce lumbosacral flexion relieves lower extremity symptoms of spinal stenosis. However, an adequate test of this hypothesis will require randomized trials of sufficient size and duration that include objective clinical endpoints such as quality-of-life measures, immobility complications and need for drugs, physical therapy, procedures including epidural injections, and spinal surgery. In the meantime, this conservative strategy is an option for patients following the recommendations of the North American Spine Society, or for those who have contraindications (or aversions) to surgery or epidural injections, or who have found these options ineffective. Positional therapy with a wheeled walker offers the possibility of short-term benefits for ambulation and pain, with minimal risks and costs.