Description
The events of September 11,2001 in the United States will always be r~membered with horror and sadness but also admiration for those who risked, and often lost, their lives attempting to save others. When the Fifth International Germ Cell Tumour Conference began, the US air space was closed and our American friends were unable to join us. We were faced with a programme that now had many gaps. What happened next was an illustration of the sense of community that prevails at the Germ Cell Tumour Conferences. Some of those who could not be there in person, such as Richard Foster and Craig Nichols, sent their slides by email, and we were indebted to those, such as Michael Jewett, Ben Mead and Malcolm Mason, who stepped into the breach to present them. Others gave impromptu, and often thought provoking, talks. The discussion periods were lively and it will come as no surprise to those who regularly attend the meeting that Tim Oliver won the prize for “Most Questions Asked”, managing even to ask questions following his own presentations. The quality of the talks was outstanding. There was closer integration of the adult and paediatric sessions than in previous meetings. As a result, the differences and similarities between adult male, female and paediatric germ cell tumours became more apparent. This cross-fertilization of ideas from different groups will no doubt lead to further advances. As a result of all these efforts, the conference was a great success. Section 1 Genetics and Biology 1. The genetics of testicular germ cell tumours 2. Advances in the understanding of germ cell tumour biology 3. A Notch-related gene located on the long arm of human chromosome 12 4. Investigating gain of 12p material in testicular germ cell tumours and its apparent absence in intratubular germ cell neoplasia. 5. Overrepresentation of the short arm of chromosome 12 is related to invasive growth of testicular seminomas and non-seminomas. 6. Reactivity of germ cell maturation stage-specific markers in classical and spermatocytic Seminoma. 7. Expression of human endogenous retroviruses HERV-K/HTDV in germ cell tumours: possible biological role and clinical application. 8. No association between HLA Class II genes and testicular germ tumour (TGCT) with genotyping of the HLA-Region on chromosome 6p21 and haplotype sharing analysis. 9. RT-PCR for AFP, HCG, GCAP and PDGF-1 to detect circulating tumour cells in testicular germ cell tumours. 10. The prognostic significance of tumour infiltrating lymphocyte count in stage I testicular seminoma managed by surveillance. 11. HIV related testicular cancer. 12. Microinvasive testicular germ cell tumours: prevalence in stage I tumours. 13. Serum lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme 1 in patients with testicular seminoma or nonseminoma stage I: two nationwide Danish studies of surveillance. 14. The atrophy hypothesis and development of malignant germ cell cancers of the testis. Section 2 Why do treatments fail? Implications for clinical trial strategy 15. Prognosis and Prognostic Factors. 16. Role of the human apurinic endonuclease Ape1/ref-1 in germ cell tumours. 17. Translational implications of Ape1 in germ cell tumours: Ape1 as a therapeutic target. 18. Current clinical trials in germ cell tumours in the United States 19. Topoisomerase I and II in germ cell cancer as indicators of possible drug selection for salvage chemotherapy studies Section 3 Non-testicular germ cell tumours 20. Overview of female germ cell tumours. 21. Germ cell tumours of the ovary: A clinicopathological study of 121 cases from Nepal. 22. Serum lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme 1 in patients with testicular and ovarian germ cell tumours. Section 4 Paediatric germ cell tumours 23. Low dose bleomycin every three weeks with cisplatin and etoposide results in excellent event free and survival rates for children and adolescents with gonadal malignant germ cell tumours (MGCT): A POG/CCG Intergroup Report. 24. Treatment strategy for childhood extracranial secreting germ cell tumours based on alphafoetoprotein (AFP) level: protocol TGM95 of the Socit Franaise d’Oncologie Pdiatrique (SFOP). 25. Risk factors in malignant extracranial germ cell tumours (MGCTs) of childhood: analysis of UKCCSG’s GCII study. 26. A watch and-wait-strategy is a safe procedure in children and adolescents with malignant non-testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs): Results of the German Consecutive MAKEI 83/86/89 and 96 protocols. 27. Mediastinal germ cell tumours (MGCT) in children and adolescents: age correlates with histological differentiation, genetic profiles and clinical outcome. 28. Intracranial Malignant Germ Cell Tumours (CNS GCTs): Interim Results of the SIOP Trial. 29. Treatment of primary intracranial germ cell tumours with in-based chemotherapy and focal irradiation. rns of relapse following focal irradiation of intracranial : critical review of TGM-TC90 SFOP protocol. t of Residual Lesions in Intracranial Germinoma- Interim SIOP CNS GCT 96 Study. re of treatment in childhood extracranial and icular germ cell tumours (MGCT). 5 Current status – surgery ry for germ cell tumours: current status in the USA. ry for testicular cancer: UK and European experience tion of residual masses: a decade of research with Jan ctive factors for residual teratoma after
