Germ Cell Tumor - Childhood

Extracranial, extragonadal germ cell tumors are rare. Each year, about 900 children and adolescents under the age of 20 are diagnosed with germ cell tumors. 

Extracranial germ cell tumors, including those that occur in the reproductive organs, account for about 7% of all cancers in children younger than 20 and about 16% in children age 15 to 19. About 61% of childhood germ cell tumors are extragonadal and most commonly occur in the sacrum and coccyx in the lower spine, chest, and abdomen. The overall survival rate (the percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) for children younger than age 20 with germ cell tumors is 87%.

Statistics should be interpreted with caution. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with a germ cell tumor. Because survival statistics are measured in five-year intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this tumor. Learn more about understanding statistics.

Statistics adapted from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the NCI Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2001-2007).