Trends in the surgical management of malignant ovarian germcell tumors

Excellent Outcomes in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors Treated by Either Reduced- or Standard-Dose Bleomycin

To investigate the outcomes of children, adolescents, and young adults (AYAs) with malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTs), we analyzed the data of 61 patients aged ≤39 years diagnosed with MOGCT between 2006 and 2022. Among 59 patients who received chemotherapy after initial diagnosis, 57 received BEP (standard dose of bleomycin with 30 units per week, n = 13) or bEP (reduced dose of bleomycin with 15 units/m2 on day 1, n = 44). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 98.3% and 84.9%, respectively. Reduced bleomycin dose did not adversely affect survival. Normalization of tumor markers within 3 months after surgery was significantly associated with better EFS (p < 0.01). Of the 59 surviving patients, 8 experienced surgery-related menopause, while 49 demonstrated menstrual recovery. After completion of chemotherapy, there was no significant difference in pulmonary function regarding bleomycin dose, and no overt nephrotoxicity. Approximately 60% and 25% of survivors experienced peripheral neuropathy at the end of chemotherapy and after 1 year, respectively (p < 0.01). Children and AYAs with MOGCT have favorable survival rates with minimal long-term toxicity, which are not influenced by a reduced bleomycin dose. Rapid normalization of tumor markers is associated with improved outcomes.

Clinicopathological Features and Survival Trends of Non-Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database

INTRODUCTION

Owing to their low incidence, no reliable statistics about prognostication derived from large sample sizes have been reported of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTs) and sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs). The present study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological prognostic factors and the survival trends of MOGCTs and SCSTs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with MOGCTs and SCSTs were recorded in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database diagnosed between 2000 and 2019. Clinical, demographic, and treatment characteristics were compared between groups of MOGCTs and SCSTs. Cox risk regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) and to assess the prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Information about 2,506 patients with MOGCTs and 1,556 patients with SCSTs was extracted from the SEER database, respectively. Aged <40 years and single were more common in patients with MOGCTs than in those with SCSTs. The vast majority of patients with MOGCTs and SCSTs underwent surgery (98.1% vs. 94.5%; p < 0.001), and women with MOGCTs were more likely to receive chemotherapy than women with SCSTs (56.1% vs. 32.2%; p < 0.001). For both patients before and after propensity-score matching, the 5-year OS rates of patients with SCSTs were lower than those of patients with MOGCTs (p < 0.05). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, both age and surgery were independent predictors of OS in patients with MOGCTs and SCSTs. FIGO staging was an independent predictor of CSS in MOGCT patients. Tumor size and chemotherapy were also independent predictors of CSS in patients with SCSTs.

CONCLUSION

Compared to patients with SCSTs, those with MOGCTs tended to be younger and had a higher OS and CSS. Adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery did not prolong OS and CSS in patients with SCSTs.

Systematic Review of the Survival Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Women with Malignant Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Randomized clinical trials assessing the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer have predominantly included women with high-grade serous carcinomas. The response rate and oncological outcomes of NACT for malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCT) are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the effects of NACT on women with MOGCT by conducting a systematic review of four public search engines. Fifteen studies were identified, and a further descriptive analysis was performed for 10 original articles. In those studies, most women were treated with a bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin regimen, and one to three cycles were used in most studies. Four studies comparing NACT and primary debulking surgery showed similar complete response rates (n = 2; pooled odds ratio [OR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15-5.27), comparable overall survival (n = 3; 87.0-100% versus 70.0-100%), disease-free survival (n = 3; 87.0-100% versus 70.0-100%), recurrence rate (n = 1; OR 3.50, 95%CI 0.38-32.50), and adverse events rate from chemotherapy between the groups. In conclusion, NACT may be considered for the management of MOGCT; however, possible candidates for NACT use and an ideal number of NACT cycles remain unknown. Further studies are warranted to validate the efficacy of NACT in advanced MOGCT patients.

Evaluation of calcification distribution by CT-based textural analysis for discrimination of immature teratoma

BACKGROUND

Mature and immature teratomas are differentiated based on tumor markers and calcification or fat distribution. However, no study has objectively quantified the differences in calcification and fat distributions between these tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic potential of CT-based textural analysis in differentiating between mature and immature teratomas in patients aged < 20 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-two patients with pathologically proven mature cystic (n = 28) and immature teratomas (n = 4) underwent transabdominal ultrasound and/or abdominal and pelvic CT before surgery. The diagnostic performance of CT for assessing imaging features, including subjective manual measurement and objective textural analysis of fat and calcification distributions in the tumors, was evaluated by two experienced readers. The histopathological results were used as the gold standard. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

We evaluated 32 patients (mean age, 14.5 years; age range, 6-19 years). The mean maximum diameter and number of calcifications of immature teratomas were significantly larger than those of mature cystic teratomas (p < 0.01). The mean number of fats of immature teratomas was significantly larger than that of mature cystic teratomas (p < 0.01); however, no significant difference in the maximum diameter of fats was observed. CT textural features for calcification distribution in the tumors showed that mature cystic teratomas had higher homogeneity and energy than immature teratomas. However, immature teratomas showed higher correlation, entropy, and dissimilarity than mature cystic teratomas among features derived from the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the CT features of fats derived from GLCM.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that calcification distribution on CT is a potential diagnostic biomarker to discriminate mature from immature teratomas, thus enabling optimal therapeutic selection for patients aged < 20 years.

Chylous ascites following retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy in a patient with recurrent dysgerminoma of ovary: A case report

Chylous ascites is an uncommon condition of accumulation of milky fluid rich in lymph and chylomicrons in the peritoneal cavity. Post-surgical complications following dissection near the base of the mesentery, retroperitoneum, or near the cisterna chyli, malignancies (e.g., pancreatic adenocarcinomas, lymphoma, gastric carcinoma), cirrhosis, and trauma are the prime causes of chylous ascites. Here we report a rare case of chylous ascites following clearance of isolated paraaortic nodal recurrence in a 28-year-old female with dysgerminoma of ovary. The patient developed chylous ascites on the fifth day following surgery, which was confirmed by an increased drain fluid triglyceride level. She was managed conservatively with dietary modification including a high-protein and carbohydrate but low-fat-based diet mainly containing medium-chain fatty acids. Subsequently, she recovered from chylous ascites on the sixteenth day, completed second line chemotherapy, and is now doing well.

Oncological outcomes among young women with non-epithelial ovarian cancer: the YOC-Care study (Young Ovarian Cancer - Care)

OBJECTIVE

To determine oncological outcomes and associated prognostic factors in women younger than 45 years diagnosed with non-epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS

A retrospective, multicenter Spanish study was performed including women with non-epithelial ovarian cancer younger than 45 years between January 2010 and December 2019. All types of treatments and stages at diagnosis with at least 12 months of follow-up were collected. Women with missing data, epithelial cancers, borderline or Krukenberg tumors, and benign histology, as well as patients with previous or concomitant cancer, were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 150 patients were included in this study. The mean±SD age was 31.45±7.45 years. Histology subtypes were divided into germ cell (n=104, 69.3%), sex-cord (n=41, 27.3%), and other stromal tumors (n=5, 3.3%). Median follow-up time was 58.6 (range: 31.10-81.91) months. Nineteen (12.6%) patients presented with recurrent disease with a median time to recurrence of 19 (range: 6-76) months. Progression-free survival and overall survival did not significantly differ among histology subtypes (p=0.09 and 0.26, respectively) and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (I-II vs III-IV) with p=0.08 and p=0.67, respectively. Univariate analysis identified sex-cord histology with the lowest progression-free survival. Multivariate analysis showed that body mass index (BMI) (HR=1.01; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.01) and sex-cord histology (HR=3.6; 95% CI 1.17 to 10.9) remained important independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival. Independent prognostic factors for overall survival were BMI (HR=1.01; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.01) and residual disease (HR=7.16; 95% CI 1.39 to 36.97).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that BMI, residual disease, and sex-cord histology were prognostic factors associated with worse oncological outcomes in women younger than 45 years diagnosed with non-epithelial ovarian cancers. Even though the identification of prognostic factors is relevant to identify high-risk patients and guide adjuvant treatment, larger studies with international collaboration are essential to clarify oncological risk factors in this rare disease.

Dysgerminoma Masquerading as Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

Background

Persistent elevation in beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) following a pregnancy is concerning for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). However, the differential diagnosis should remain broad during the evaluation process.

Case

A 34-year-old G3P3 presented with elevated β-hCG four months after cesarean delivery with bilateral tubal ligation. The patient was treated with methotrexate for a presumed new ectopic pregnancy. Due to persistent β-hCG elevation, she received actinomycin-D for GTN treatment. After completing chemotherapy, her β-hCG increased. The patient underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy with unplanned left oophorectomy due to its nodular appearance at the time of surgery. Pathology confirmed a dysgerminoma of the ovary and benign uterus.

Conclusion

Although dysgerminomas are uncommon, they should be considered when β-hCG levels remain elevated despite therapies for more common pathologies.

Late mortality reduction among survivors of germ cell tumors in childhood and adolescence in Europe: A report from the PanCareSurFup cohort

BACKGROUND

Data on late mortality from pediatric germ cell tumors (GCTs) are limited to small case series. Our population-based study aimed to investigate excess risk of death in survivors of GCT in childhood and adolescence, whether long-term mortality changed over time and by period of diagnosis.

METHODS

The PanCare Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survivor Care and Follow-Up Studies (PanCareSurFup) cohort includes 2773 five-year survivors diagnosed under 21 years of age with gonadal and extragonadal GCT (from 1940 to 2008). We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and absolute excess risks (AERs). We fitted a Cox's model to assess the impact of treatment period. We estimated 10-year survival and calculated average percentage changes between periods of diagnosis (1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999) to assess whether late mortality decreased.

RESULTS

GCT survivors had an almost four-fold excess risk of dying compared to general population. The risk of death for patients treated after 1980 was nearly halved compared to patients treated before 1980. Survivors diagnosed in 1990-1999 had a 10-year survival rate of 99%, which was 2.4% and 1.1% higher than for patients treated in 1970-1979 and 1980-1989, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the largest population-based study in Europe and showed a decrease in long-term mortality for survivors of GCTs in childhood and adolescence over the last decades. After the introduction of platinum compound in 1980, which is a paradigm of success compared to the previous treatments, no major changes in drug therapies have been made to treat GCTs in the last 40 years. However, GCT survivors maintain an excessive risk of death that requires long-term care.

A rare case of pure-type embryonal carcinoma in a 75-year-old woman mimicking epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Embryonal carcinoma, a very rare ovarian germ cell tumor, involves pure and mixed phenotypes. Pure-type embryonal carcinoma has never been reported in postmenopausal women. The current case was, thus, misdiagnosed as an epithelial ovarian carcinoma based on radiologic findings. Herein, we describe the case of ovarian embryonal carcinoma in a 75-year-old woman along with a literature review. Magnetic resonance imaging findings were suggestive of epithelial ovarian malignancy associated with endometrioma, including ureteral invasion. The patient underwent complete surgical staging, and a pathologic diagnosis of pure-type embryonal carcinoma was made. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and adjuvant chemotherapy was administered. Embryonal carcinoma in the postmenopausal woman is a clinical challenge owing to the possibility of its misdiagnosis as epithelial ovarian carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pure-type ovarian embryonal carcinoma in a postmenopausal woman, with a description of the clinicopathologic characteristics and review of the relevant literature.

Pelvic masses after surgery for immature ovarian teratoma: A 10-year experience of Western China

There are debates on the management of immature ovarian teratoma and its recurrence. This study aimed to report the incidence of pelvic masses after surgery for immature ovarian teratoma and to identify prognostic factors of disease-free survival after surgery, discussing aspects of primary treatment and postoperative management. Data on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with immature teratomas were collected. Follow-up data were acquired from clinic visits and telephone interviews. Disease-free survival was defined as the time interval between the initial surgery for immature ovarian teratoma and the diagnosis of a new pelvic mass. Survival curves were drawn using the Kaplan-Meire method, and multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model using PASW statistics software. The estimated 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival were 74.3% (95%CI 63.9%-84.7%) and 96.5% (95%CI 91.6%-100.0%), respectively. The incidence of growing teratoma syndrome and immature teratoma relapse at a median follow-up of 46 months were 20.0% and 7.7%, respectively. Two patients died of repeated relapses or repeated growing teratoma syndrome. Rupture of initial lesions (RR 4.010, 95%CI 1.035-5.531), lymph node dissection (RR 0.212, 95%CI 0.051-0.887) and adjuvant chemotherapy (RR 0.143, 95%CI 0.024-0.845) were independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival. The development of growing teratoma syndrome is more prevalent than relapse after treatment of immature ovarian teratomas. Lymph node dissection and chemotherapy are recommended to reduce recurrence. Close surveillance and active surgical intervention are important for the diagnosis and appropriate management of new pelvic masses.

Adjuvant and post-surgical treatment in non-epithelial ovarian cancer

Non-epithelial cancers arising from the ovary are uncommon malignancies. Germ cell tumors of the ovary arise from primordial germ cells, and sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary represent a cluster of tumors arising from the sex cord and stromal compartment. Most patients diagnosed with germ cell tumors are young adults and adolescent females. In contrast, ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors more commonly occur in a mature age group. Advances in the adjuvant management of non-epithelial ovarian cancer following optimal surgical and pathological staging have improved patient survival outcomes. In addition, active surveillance is preferentially assigned to patients diagnosed with stage I germ cell tumor, stage 1A grade 1 immature teratoma, stage 1A yolk sac tumor, and stage 1AI sex cord-stromal tumors. This article discusses the importance of selecting the adjuvant treatment approach most suitable to the patients' surgical and pathological stages, thereby safeguarding patient outcomes.

New aspects and innovations in the local treatment of renal and urogenital pediatric tumors

Local treatment plays a key role for patients' outcome in tumors of the urogenital tract in children. Despite a great variety of different etiologies, the specific localization of pediatric urogenital tumors renders several characteristic demands to the treating personnel. Surgery and radiotherapy are the main elements of local treatment in this group of neoplasms. Numerous new guidelines and innovative technical developments of surgery and radiotherapy have recently been integrated into treatment concepts for pediatric urogenital tumors. Due to the broadness of the field it is not possible to give a full overview over all aspects. Therefore, this article highlights the most important innovations and new guidelines of surgery and radiotherapy of pediatric urogenital tumors.

Oncological and Reproductive Outcomes of Cystectomy Compared with Unilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy as Fertility-Sparing Surgery in Patients with Apparent Early Stage Pure Immature Ovarian Teratomas

PURPOSE

To compare the oncological and reproductive outcomes of patients with apparent early stage pure ovarian immature teratomas (IMTs) treated with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO) or cystectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with apparent early stage pure ovarian IMTs who received fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) between 1984 and 2019. FSS was defined as preservation of the uterus and at least one adnexa. Recurrence rates were compared between patients receiving USO and cystectomy. Reproductive outcomes and menstrual histories were assessed by telephone interview.

RESULTS

A total of 124 patients were included, of whom 83 underwent USO and 41 underwent cystectomy. After a median follow-up of 70.6 months (range: 6.2-410.6 months), eight patients suffered recurrences (5 in the USO group and 3 in the cystectomy group). The median times to recurrence were 5.0 and 5.1 months in the USO and cystectomy groups, respectively (P = 0.764). All patients with recurrence were successfully salvaged by surgery, except for one death. Univariate analysis showed no difference in disease-free survival and overall survival between the groups (P = 0.781, 0.155). Of the 111 patients contacted by telephone, 97 resumed menstruation following the surgery. Of the 31 patients desiring pregnancy, 26 achieved 28 pregnancies. USO (83.3%), like cystectomy (85.7%), resulted in excellent pregnancy rates.

CONCLUSIONS

A USO is the standard treatment for women with early stage pure IMTs who want to preserve fertility. However, a cystectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy may be a suitable fertility-sparing therapy when a cystectomy is the only surgical option.

Ovarian Cancer, Version 2.2020, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the United States and is the country's fifth most common cause of cancer mortality in women. A major challenge in treating ovarian cancer is that most patients have advanced disease at initial diagnosis. These NCCN Guidelines discuss cancers originating in the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum, as these are all managed in a similar manner. Most of the recommendations are based on data from patients with the most common subtypes─high-grade serous and grade 2/3 endometrioid. The NCCN Guidelines also include recommendations specifically for patients with less common ovarian cancers, which in the guidelines include the following: carcinosarcoma, clear cell carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma, low-grade serous, grade 1 endometrioid, borderline epithelial, malignant sex cord-stromal, and malignant germ cell tumors. This manuscript focuses on certain aspects of primary treatment, including primary surgery, adjuvant therapy, and maintenance therapy options (including PARP inhibitors) after completion of first-line chemotherapy.

The individualized significance of lymphadenectomy across all age groups and histologies in malignant ovarian germ cell tumors

PURPOSE

To evaluate the therapeutic role of lymphadenectomy on patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumor (MOGCT) and to investigate the risk factors of lymph node metastasis.

METHODS

Patients of MOGCT between 1988 and 2013 with definite lymph node information were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of clinical and pathologic variables on survival.

RESULTS

2424 MOGCT patients with information on lymph nodes were included. Of the entire cohort, 46.2% patients received lymphadenectomy. The most common (42.2%) histologic type was teratoma, and 70.6% patients had FIGO stage I disease. Cox proportional model verified that age, grade, and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) were independent prognostic factors. Subgroup analysis showed that the association between the lymph node resection and better survival in the different age cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Lymphadenectomy is not recommended for children (0-14 years). For patients 40 years of age and older, and for those who have the dysgerminoma type or endodermal sinus type, lymphadenectomy had an outstanding therapeutic role. As a parameter to assess lymph node status, LODDS could be used to classify MOGCTs.