The optimum management of localised intracranial germinoma remains controversial. Cure rates for this rare CNS tumour, which arises mainly in adolescents, exceed 90% at 10 years, and limitation of treatment-related late morbidity is therefore essential. Craniospinal radiotherapy plus boost is perceived to be the gold-standard treatment, but there have been suggestions that reduced-volume radiotherapy could be adequate for cure. We reviewed publications since 1988 to compare patterns of disease relapse and cure rates after craniospinal radiotherapy, reduced-volume irradiation alone (ie, whole-brain or whole-ventricular irradiation followed by a boost), and focal or localised irradiation alone. The recurrence rate after whole-brain or whole-ventricular radiotherapy plus boost was 7·6% compared with 3·8% after craniospinal radiotherapy, with no predilection for isolated spinal relapses (2·9% vs 1·2%). We challenge the consensus that craniospinal radiotherapy is the best treatment for localised germinomas and conclude that reduced-volume radiotherapy plus boost should replace craniospinal radiotherapy when a radiotherapy-only approach is used.