Treatment of nondysgerminomatous ovarian germ cell tumors: an analysis of 69 cases

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors: a single-institution experience

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinicopathologic prognostic factors in malignant ovarian germ cell tumors.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of 70 patients treated from 1990 to 2006 at our center. Clinical data including demographics, stage, surgery, chemotherapy, survival, menses status, and fertility were collected from patients' charts.

RESULTS

Median age was 22 years (range, 9-68). The histologic subtypes included 36 dysgerminomas, 11 yolk sac tumors, 3 immature teratomas, 1 embryonal carcinomas, and 19 mixed types. The most striking clinicopathologic finding was a history of concomitant immunosuppressant therapy, which was observed in 2 patients. Two patients had contralateral sex-cord tumors at presentation and follow-up. During a median follow-up period of 4.6 years, 11 patients had recurrence. The median time to recurrence was 8 months (6-28 months). Recurrences appeared in the abdominopelvic cavity in 9 out of 11 patients. Only one could be salvaged with second-line chemotherapy. Cumulative survival rate was 97% and 60% in patients with dysgerminoma and nondysgerminoma, respectively. Nondysgerminoma histology and residual tumor after surgery were unfavorable prognostic factors (P < 0.001 and P = 0.015). Fertility-sparing surgery was as effective as radical surgery among all eligible patients. Of patients with known menstrual status, 96% had regular menses. Of the 8 patients who opted for conception among these patients, 7 delivered healthy infants.

CONCLUSIONS

Nondysgerminomas have an aggressive clinical course. New treatment strategies are needed for eradication of abdominopelvic disease at initial diagnosis and recurrent setting. Occurrence of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors may be associated with immunosuppression in some patients. Sex-cord stromal tumors may present with bilateral involvement. It is possible to maintain fertility after fertility-sparing surgery followed by chemotherapy.

[Yolk sac tumor revealed by an ascite of great abundance]

We report the case of a 16-year-old girl explored for an ascite of great abundance responsible for a respiratory embarrassment. Its symptomatology proved to be secondary to a vitelline tumour of the ovary. It required several drainings of ascite before surgical operation. She had a conservative treatment followed up by a chemotherapy which allowed a clinical and biological remission. We report this observation considering the originality of the mode of revelation of the tumour. We insist in addition on the possibility of a conservative treatment.

Yolk sac tumours of the ovary: evaluation of clinicopathological features and prognostic factors

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinicopathological prognostic features, factors and outcomes of chemotherapy in ovarian yolk sac tumours (YST).

STUDY DESIGN

We reviewed the medical records of 32 women with ovarian YST treated from 1990 to 2006 at two centres.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 36 months. The median age was 22 (range, 9-68). Two patients were postmenopausal. The most common symptoms at diagnosis included abdominal swelling or mass (72%) and abdominopelvic pain (62%). The location of the tumour was bilateral in 2 cases. Eight patients were in stage I, 4 patients in stage II, 17 patients in stage III, and 3 patients in stage IV. Eighteen patients underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, two bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and two cystectomy, while 10 patients had total abdominal hysterectomy and two bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Of 32 patients who received postoperative chemotherapy, 27 were treated with a bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin (BEP) regimen. Seventy-two percent of patients were alive at the last follow-up visit. Ten (31%) patients suffered from a recurrence of the disease with a median time to recurrence of 8 months (range, 6-28 months). The most common site of recurrence was the intra-abdominal space, with 8 patients. Only one patient who had recurrence could be salvaged. Fertility-sparing surgery was found at least as effective as radical surgery. While age, histology (mixed vs. pure), stage, tumour size, ascites, and marker levels were not found as prognostic factors, the presence of residual tumour (P=0.014) and BEP chemotherapy (P=0.016) were significant prognostic factors in univariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with ovarian YST, fertility-sparing surgery is as effective as radical surgery. Optimal cytoreductive surgery and standard BEP regimen are the most decisive prognostic factors. In these tumours, adjunctive therapeutic modalities to eradicate intra-abdominal disease and effective salvage therapy strategies are needed.

Outcome and reproductive function after cumulative high-dose combination chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP) for patients with ovarian endodermal sinus tumor

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome and reproductive function of patients with ovarian endodermal sinus tumor (EST) after cumulative high-dose combination chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP).

METHODS

Between 1995 and 2006, 1034 patients with the diagnosis of ovarian cancer were treated at a single institution. Among these patients, 51 had a confirmed diagnosis of malignant ovarian germ cell tumor (MOGCT) including 20 cases of EST. We retrospectively reviewed those patients with EST, who received BEP as adjuvant chemotherapy. The doses were 15 mg/day of bleomycin on days 1 to 3, 100 mg/m(2)/day IV of etoposide on days 1 to 3 and 20 mg/m(2)/day of cisplatin on days 1 to 5. The median number of total cycles was six (range between three and nine).

RESULTS

The median age of the patients with EST was 18 years (range 5 to 36). All except two were nulliparous. The overall survival rate was 90% at a median follow-up of 70 months. Two patients (10%) had disease recurrence in the pelvis. Of the 15 patients who were treated with fertility-sparing surgery, all had regular menstruation following the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy, and two of these patients had pregnancies with live birth deliveries and no complications.

CONCLUSION

In patients with EST, the cumulative high-dose BEP regimen resulted in excellent overall survival and did not seem to impair ovarian function.

Nondysgerminomatous ovarian tumors: clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome. A case-controlled study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to assess the response of patients with nondysgerminomatous ovarian germ-cell tumors (NDOGCT) to platinum-based chemotherapy and to determine association of prognostic factors to relapse of disease.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 21 patients who had surgical resection of nondysgerminomatous ovarian germ-cell tumors (NDOGCT) and received adjuvant chemotherapy in Vali-e-Asr Hospital, Tehran, Iran during 1997-2004. The median age at presentation was 18 years and the median follow-up was 20 months. Histological type of tumors included the following: immature teratoma (n=7), mixed germ-cell tumor (n=7), yolk sac tumors (n=4), and embryonal carcinoma (n=3). Distribution by stage at the time of surgery was as follows; stage I (n=10), stage III (n=6), and stage IV (n=5).

RESULTS

Sixteen patients underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and 5 patients underwent cystectomy. After the initial surgery, 13 patients immediately received chemotherapy and the other 8 patients received chemotherapy at a median time of 5.5 months (range, 1-40 months). Postoperative chemotherapy included the following: bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (n=17); vincristine, actinomycin-D, and cyclophosphamide (n=2); methotrexate, etoposide, and cisplatin (n=l); and cisplatin (n=l). Thirty-one percent of the patients suffered a relapse after platinum-based combination chemotherapy. The median disease-free survival was 40 months and the median overall survival was 50 months. The 5-year survival rate was 39%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that stage at the initial surgery, residual disease and the interval from initial diagnosis to the start of chemotherapy were possible prognostic factors for relapse. Also, our study indicates that there may be a role for aggressive cytoreductive surgery in advance NDOGCT, and a need for second-line combination chemotherapy.

Germ cell tumors of the ovary

PURPOSE

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTS) are rare but curable at all stages of disease. This review gives an outline of the management of this disease.

METHODS

We performed a literature search in the PubMed of almost all relevant articles concerning MOGCTs on pathology, prognostic factors, surgery, post-operative therapy and late effects of therapy. The available literature is mainly composed of retrospective reviews and articles.

RESULTS

Prognostic factors include stage, amount of residual tumor, histologic type and raised tumor markers. For patients with early stage disease, cure rates approach 100%, while for those with advanced-stage disease are at least 75%. Appropriate surgical treatment for patients where fertility needs to be preserved consists in laparotomy with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO) and resection of all visible disease. For patients with advanced-stage disease, the role and the extent of debulking surgery remain controversial despite its routine use. However, it is suggested a benefit from minimal residual disease at completion of primary surgical cytoreduction with both non-platinum and platinum-based chemotherapy regimens. Second-look surgery clearly is not indicated in patients with early stage non-dysgerminoma or in all patients with dysgerminoma. However, teratoma patients may benefit from secondary cytoreduction. Three courses of bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP) is the current standard adjuvant chemotherapy and four courses of BEP are recommended in case of bulky residual tumor after surgery. More evidence is required to show that surveillance is a safe option. There is a hint that high-dose chemotherapy may play a role in relapsed patients. The majority of MOGCTs patients who undergo fertility-sparing surgery and chemotherapy retain their gonadal and reproductive function. There is an increasing concern about life-threatening long-term effects of treatment.

CONCLUSION

MOGCTs are rare neoplasms that affect girls and young women and have excellent prognosis at all stages of disease with optimal therapy. The majority of MOGCTs patients retain their reproductive function.

Survival and reproductive function of 52 women treated with surgery and bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy for ovarian yolk sac tumor

BACKGROUND

Ovarian yolk sac tumor (YST) is a very rare malignancy arising in young women. Chemotherapy has dramatically improved the prognosis. Current treatment consists of surgery followed by bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy. However, given the rarity of this tumor, ovarian YST-specific survival and outcome after such treatment are not precisely known.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This report concerns prospectively recorded cases that were either treated at Institut Gustave Roussy (Villejuif, France) or referred there for advice about therapy. From 1990 to 2006, 52 patients underwent surgery followed by BEP chemotherapy. Data on patient characteristics, treatment, survival, and fertility outcome were analyzed to assess treatment efficacy and gonadal toxicity after achieving a complete remission.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients had stage I/II tumors while 17 patients presented with stage III/IV disease. With a median follow-up of 68 months, the overall 5-year survival and disease-free survival rates were 94% and 90%, respectively. Forty-one women underwent fertility-sparing surgery. Pregnancy was achieved in 12 of 16 (75%) women who attempted conception. Overall, 19 pregnancies have been recorded.

CONCLUSIONS

BEP chemotherapy following fertility-sparing surgery is a very effective treatment of ovarian YSTs. Most of the patients who attempt conception after complete remission will have children.

Management of ovarian germ cell tumors

PURPOSE

To review contemporary management of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCT).

DESIGN

The literature on the topic of MOGCT is reviewed, including pathology, prognostic factors, surgical strategies, postoperative therapy, late effects of therapy, and treatment of recurrence.

RESULTS

Prognostic factors for MOGCT include the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system's stage, residual disease, histologic type, and elevation of serum tumor markers. Fertility-sparing surgery is possible in a large proportion of patients. The importance of comprehensive surgical staging is somewhat controversial. For patients with advanced-stage disease, maximum cytoreductive surgery appears to be beneficial. Although second-look surgery is not recommended routinely, selected patients may benefit from secondary cytoreduction. For those patients who require postoperative chemotherapy, standard therapy consists of the combination of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin. However, there is a growing trend toward surveillance; this strategy continues to be studied. Although premature menopause may occur in a small proportion of patients, at least 80% of those who undergo fertility-sparing surgery and chemotherapy may expect to preserve reproductive function. For patients with early-stage disease, cure rates approach 100%. For those with advanced-stage disease, cure rates are reportedly at least 75%.

CONCLUSION

MOGCT is a rare malignancy that principally affects girls and young women. With optimal therapy, the prognosis is excellent, and most patients may retain reproductive function.

Yolk sac tumours of the ovary: an update

AIMS

Yolk sac tumours of the ovary (YST), also called endodermal sinus tumours (EST) are rare and highly malignant tumours of utmost importance occurring in children and young adults. In the past, outcome was very poor and the disease was almost always fatal. With the refinement of chemotherapeutic regimens in the last several decades, survival rates have improved dramatically and fertility preserving surgery has become possible. The aim of this review is to provide the reader with an analysis of the available literature and a rational approach to patient management.

METHODS

We performed a literature search in the PubMed database and the reference lists of relevant articles concerning yolk sac tumours of the ovary.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

There are no randomised studies relating to the management of YST of the ovary. The available literature is composed of retrospective reviews and case reports that span several decades. Prognosis nowadays is good in stage I and II but still comparable to that of ovarian epithelial cancer in stage III and IV. The overall good prognosis is due to the fact that most of ovarian YST are diagnosed at an early stage where 5years survival reaches 95%. Appropriate surgical treatment for patients where fertility needs to be preserved consists in laparotomy with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, peritoneal cytologic studies, omentectomy, multiple peritoneal and abdominal biopsies and resection of all visible disease. Three courses of BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin) is the current standard therapy and four courses is recommended in case of bulky residual disease after surgery. Serum alpha-feto-protein (AFP) is a useful marker for the diagnosis and management of YST.

Endodermal sinus tumor of the ovary: The Hacettepe University experience

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the treatment regimens used for patients with endodermal sinus tumors (EST), and also to examine the prognostic value of surgicopathological variables.

STUDY DESIGN

Twenty-two patients treated for pure EST, and seven patients who had mixed germ cell tumors with EST components were included. Initial surgery consisting of surgical staging to achieve optimal debulking was the principal mode of therapy. Data were obtained from patients' files, a special gynecologic oncology database, and pathology records.

RESULTS

The median age at the time of diagnosis was 18 (range 8-45). Sixteen patients had stage I (55%), and 13 (45%) had stage II-IV disease. As an adjuvant therapy 18 patients (62%) received platin-based chemotherapy, three patients (10%) had non-platin-based chemotherapy, four patients (14%) had radiotherapy, and four patients (14%) had combined radiotherapy plus non-platin-based chemotherapy. The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 47 and 48%, respectively. Survival rates were dismal in patients with stage II-IV disease (P < 0.001). Platin-based chemotherapy achieved significant survival benefit (P = 0.03 and P < 0.001, respectively). Fertility-saving surgery had an overall survival no worse than those who underwent more extensive surgery. There was no significant survival difference with respect to age, histology, and tumor size.

CONCLUSION

Fertility-sparing surgery with a postoperative platin-based combination chemotherapy should be the selected mode of treatment.

Outcome and prognostic factors in ovarian germ cell malignancies

OBJECTIVES

This study was undertaken to investigate the outcome and prognostic factors in patients with ovarian germ cell malignancies (OGCMs).

METHODS

A total of 93 patients with OGCMs were retrospectively reviewed, among whom 84 patients had primary treatment at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) between 1984 and 2003. The other nine patients were primarily treated outside and referred for follow-up (n = 1), adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 4), or salvage therapy after recurrence (n = 4). The clinicopathological and treatment-related characteristics were analyzed for association with the occurrence of tumor persistence/recurrence or death.

RESULTS

Of the study patients, 32 had dysgerminoma (DSG), 29 immature teratoma (IMT), 23 endodermal sinus tumor, 7 mixed germ cell tumors, and 1 each had choriocarcinoma and embryonal carcinoma. The median follow-up of survivors was 66 months (range, 12-236 months). The median time to recurrence or progression was 8 months. There were 11 treatment failures with 6 died of cancer. The 5-year survival rate was 97.4% for those primarily treated at CGMH. Histology (DSG/IMT versus non-DSG/IMT) (P < 0.0001) and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P = 0.001) were significantly associated with treatment failure, while histology (P = 0.0004), salvage high-dose chemotherapy (HD-CT) after primary chemotherapy failed (P = 0.0405), and residual tumor after salvage surgery (P = 0.0014) were significant prognostic factors for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Prognosis of OGCMs is excellent if managed with standard treatment initially. Aggressive HD-CT with salvage surgery needs to be applied for recurrent/persistent disease after primary chemotherapy.

Treatment of ovarian germ cell tumors with a 3-day bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin regimen: a prospective multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCT) are highly curable when treated with cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. We evaluated the safety and activity of a 3-day modified bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatinum (mBEP) regimen in patients with OGCT.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with FIGO stages I-IV OGCT were treated with three (stages I-III complete resection) or four cycles (incomplete resection or stage IV) of bleomycin 15 mg iv, etoposide 120 mg/m(2) iv, and cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) iv for 3 days every 3 weeks.

RESULTS

Forty-eight patients (14 with dysgerminoma and 34 with non-dysgerminomatous tumors) were included in our study. Most patients had stage I disease (65%) and complete resection of their tumor (67%). Twenty percent of patients developed grade 3 or 4 neutropenia with 4 episodes of neutropenic fever. During follow-up (median: 5 years), two patients developed progressive disease including one patient who died. All patients with stage I or II disease and all patients with dysgerminoma remain free of disease. However, 20% of patients with non-dysgerminomatous tumors stage III or IV experienced progressive disease.

CONCLUSION

The modified 3-day BEP regimen was safe and effective in patients with OGCT. Further improvements are needed for patients with advanced, suboptimally debulked non-dysgerminomatous tumors.

Toxicities of the platinum antineoplastic agents

The platinum agents (cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin) are among the most useful anticancer agents available to oncologists. The drugs have the potential to produce both mild and more serious side effects. However, in general, the platinum agents can be delivered with acceptable toxicity, even when used in combination chemotherapy regimens. Furthermore, with appropriate dose modifications, the large majority of patients who may benefit from this class of cytotoxic pharmaceutical drugs will be able to complete a planned therapeutic programme.

Infertility rates following POMB/ACE chemotherapy for male and female germ cell tumours - a retrospective long-term follow-up study

The risk of chemotherapy-induced infertility in male and female germ cell tumour (GCT) survivors is unclear, but may correlate with cisplatin dose. Here, we examine a large series of GCT patients for the effect of chemotherapy on those attempting to have children. Our GCT database was screened for nonseminomatous GCT patients who had (1) received POMB/ACE chemotherapy (cisplatin, vincristine, methotrexate, bleomycin alternating with actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and etoposide) and (2) stage I male GCT patients who were untreated between 1977 and 1996. Fertility was assessed by questionnaire and medical records. A total of 64 of 153 treated and 35 of 115 untreated men attempted to have children. In all, 28% (18 out of 64) receiving POMB/ACE were unsuccessful. Radiotherapy (six), atrophic remaining testis (one) or prior infertility (three) were implicated in 10 cases, so chemotherapy-induced infertility may have occurred in only 11% (eight out of 64). Strikingly, 26% (nine out of 35) of untreated stage I patients also failed to have children (three had radiotherapy, three prior infertility). Moreover, in treated men, no association was seen between cisplatin dose and infertility. In contrast, radiotherapy significantly increased male infertility (P=0.001). Of 28 treated women who attempted to have children, 25% (seven out of 28) were unsuccessful. One previously had infertility and one subsequently had successful IVF so chemotherapy-induced infertility potentially occurred in only 18% (five out of 28) and was not related to cisplatin dose. In conclusion, the risk of chemotherapy-induced infertility is low in both male and female GCT patients and does not clearly correlate with the cumulative cisplatin dose.

Quality of life after among ovarian germ cell cancer survivors: a narrative analysis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

To describe and interpret the meaning of experiences that are important to the quality of living of ovarian germ cell cancer survivors.

RESEARCH APPROACH

Qualitative description within a constructivist paradigm.

SETTING

32 member sites of the Gynecologic Oncology Group and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

PARTICIPANTS

109 women between the ages of 19-64 (median age = 36) who were enrolled on prospective clinical trials of cisplatin-based chemotherapy after surgery and disease-free for at least two years.

METHODOLOGIC APPROACH

As part of a larger study, narrative responses to four semistructured questions were collected at the end of a telephone interview. Using naturalistic inquiry and qualitative description techniques, content labels were assigned to units of text that seemed to encapsulate one complete thought or idea. The labeled groups were collapsed into interpreted subthemes. Finally, four general themes were constructed as representations of shared narrative responses and meanings.

FINDINGS

The four constructed themes are celebrating illness, experiencing empathetic affirmation, mourning losses, and valuing illness.

INTERPRETATION

In addition to measuring physical, psychological, and sexual functioning in women surviving ovarian germ cell cancer, nurses also must understand how these issues fit into their everyday lived experiences. The four themes may help clinicians and researchers to understand issues that are important to the quality of living of ovarian germ cell cancer survivors.

Tumor chemoconversion following surgery, chemotherapy, and normalization of serum tumor markers in a woman with a mixed type germ cell ovarian tumor

BACKGROUND

Malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary are often curative after conservative surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Persistent tumors despite normalization of serum tumor markers may represent retroconversion to benign masses, but this is rare in ovarian tumors without teratoma elements. The management in such cases has not been defined.

CASE

A young woman with a stage IIIC mixed germ cell ovarian tumor containing endodermal and dysgerminoma elements and elevated serum tumor markers underwent conservative surgery followed by chemotherapy. Residual tumor persisted on CT despite the normalization of serum tumor markers. The residual tissue was resected and contained benign tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

In cases where masses persist and serum tumor markers normalize, attaining a histological diagnosis, and not chemotherapy, should be considered.

Childhood malignant ovarian germ cell tumors: a monoinstitutional experience

OBJECTIVES

We reviewed our 23-year monoinstitutional exprience with childhood malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCT), with respect to survival and iatrogenic sequelae.

METHODS

Twenty-nine patients (median age 12 years) with newly diagnosed MOGCT were treated: all girls but 2 underwent surgery as initial treatment. There were 9 pure dysgerminomas and 20 nondysgerminoma tumors (5 immature teratomas, 4 yolk sac tumors, and 11 mixed histology tumors). According to the FIGO classification, 9 girls were classified as stage I, 4 as II, 11 as III, and 3 as IV, and 2 were not evaluable because they were submitted to primary chemotherapy. Twenty-four received chemotherapy with VAC, PVB, or PEB regimens, according to the ongoing protocols through the years. Three stage I girls did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy because of their histology (2 dysgerminomas, 1 immature teratoma) and stage. In the early years, postoperative radiotherapy was given alone in advanced dysgerminoma stages.

RESULTS

Five patients died of their disease: 2 dysgerminomas (stage IIIc and IV) and 3 nondysgerminomas (2 stage II and 1 stage IIIc). OS and EFS rates at a median of 112 months were 81.8%. Among 24 survivors, 4 experienced iatrogenic amenorrhea because of radiotherapy and/or bilateral oophorectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

MOGCT are highly chemosensitive and curable, with preservation of reproductive function. The management of recurrent disease remains an open issue.