Definition:
Yolk sac tumor, YST for brevity, and which is otherwise known as the Endodermal sinus tumor or the infantile embryonal carcinoma, is a type of germ cell tumor group of cancers and is said to be common to children under three years old.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis includes biopsy and AFT test results for EST. Furthermore, a GATA-4 or transcription factor is also used to confirm the disease (Siltanen S, Anttonen M, Heikkilä P, Narita N, Laitinen M, Ritvos O, Wilson DB, Heikinheimo M (1999). "Transcription factor GATA-4 is expressed in pediatric yolk sac tumors.". Am. J. Pathol. 155 (6): 1823-9).
Treatment:
Treatments includes surgery and chemotherapy.
Symptoms and Signs:
Symptoms includes the occurrence of a benign but malignant endodermal sinus tumor.
Causes:
It is usually cause by a malignant endodermal cells which express alpha-fetoprotein.
