Clinical review of 55 cases of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: A retrospective analysis of 55 cases of malignant germ cell tumors in a 20-year period was done to evaluate the impact of conservative surgery and adjuvant treatment on survival and fertility.

METHODS: Fifty-five cases of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTs) were studied. Mean age was 22 years. Dysgerminoma was the most common histotype (45%).

RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients (71%) presented with FIGO surgical Stage I disease. Fertility-sparing surgery was performed in 39 (71%) women. Postoperative systemic chemotherapy was administered to 40 women (73%), 27 (68%) had received conservative treatment. One woman developed renal failure after the first cycle of chemotherapy and died a few days thereafter and there was one case of bleomycin-induced death due to pulmonary fibrosis. There were eight (14.5%) clinical recurrences. Overall survival rate for relapsing women was 75% (6/8). The recurrence rate for women treated conservatively was 15%, and it was 13% for those treated radically. With a median follow-up of 129 months the overall survival rate for the entire study-population was 90.9%. Eleven pregnancies occurred in 36 women treated with fertility-sparing surgery who were of child-bearing age.

CONCLUSION: The management of MOGCTs with fertility-sparing surgery is a safe, practicable treatment option. The majority of these patients can retain normal ovarian function and reproductive potential after chemotherapy treatment.