Pathology and Biology of Human Germ Cell Tumors
This book provides, for the first time, a detailed, up-to-date, holistic approach to the pathology and biology of germ cell tumors. The main focus is the complex histopathology of these tumors, but special considerations are also given to their morphologi
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Pathology and Biology of Human Germ Cell Tumors
Francisco F. Nogales • Rafael E. Jimenez Editors
Pathology and Biology of Human Germ Cell Tumors
Editors Francisco F. Nogales Departamento de Anatomía Patológica Universidad de Granada Facultad de Medicina Granada Spain
Rafael E. Jimenez Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota USA
ISBN 978-3-662-53773-2 ISBN 978-3-662-53775-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-53775-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017931581 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany The registered company address is: Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin, Germany
To Gordon Barry Pierce (1925–2015) who found the key to unlocking the magic of germ cell tumors.
Preface
August 2016 Since their first documented descriptions, germ cell tumors have always been a leading exhibit in an imaginary cabinet of scientific curiosities. The reason is their extraordinariness, resulting from the finding of distorted bodily structures in unexpected organs and at different ages. This distortion of the body image has prompted the evolution of thought, ideas, and theories about their origin and meaning ranging from the purely magical to the current ideas of their pathogenesis and differentiation potentials. However, the key to the understanding of their multiple and complex differentiations lies in the concepts of pluripotentiality and tumor stem cells, an original idea developed by G. Barry Pierce (1925–2015), mentor and kind friend to some of the older contributors (FFN and ID) of this monograph. His farsighted work with L. Kleinsmith on murine teratocarcinoma [1] demonstrated, for the first time, the existence of pluripotent tumor stem cells. Thus, the study of these curious tumors turned out to be a biological Rosetta stone, linking embryonic
