Germ Cell Tumors are growths of cells that from reproductive cells. The tumors may be cancerous or not cancerous. Most Germ Cell Tumors occur in the testicles or the ovaries.

Germ cells don’t have anything to do with germs. They get their name from the word “germinate,” which means to begin to grow. That’s because as a baby develops before birth, germ cells move into place and become either eggs in the ovaries or sperm in the testicles.

All cancers happen when cells in your body start to grow out of control. If your child has a Wilms tumor, their kidney cells didn’t grow like they should have. Instead, they turned into cancer cells. You can also get a Germ Cell Tumor in the brain, chest, belly, pelvis, or lower back, but it’s not as common.

Common Signs of Germ Cell Tumors include :



• A mass on your ovaries or testicles
• Belly or Chest Pain
• Weakness in Your Legs
• Wheezing or Shortness of Breath
• Fever
• Breast Growth
• Pubic Hair

Treatments :



• Surgery : Surgery to remove the tumor. If it’s cancer, your doctor needs to remove all of the cancer cells. That could mean removing the testicle or ovary and fallopian tube where the tumor is located.
• Chemotherapy (chemo) : Which uses drugs to kill cancer. It’s often used if the tumor is cancer and has spread to other parts of your body.
• Radiation : Which uses high energy from X-rays or other sources to kill cancer cells. Newer kinds of Radiation focus as close as possible on the tumor to help limit side effects.