A pineal mass was completely resected and the pathologist diagnoses a mature teratoma. What is the best treatment for this patient?
9% 64% 9% 18% The correct answer is observation.
Mature teratomas are benign, slow growing lesions which can often be cured with a gross total surgical resection. Immature or malignant teratomas, on the other hand, are often rapidly growing tumors which often recur after resection and are resistant to most adjuvant therapies.