Malignant Ovarian Germ Cell Tumours: Experience in the National University Hospital of Singapore

ABSTRACT

Management of thirteen cases of malignant ovarian germ cell tumours was reported. Of these, 5 (38%) were immature teratoma, 3 (23%) were endodermal sinus tumour, 1 (8%) was dysgerminoma and 4 (31%) were mixed germ cell tumour. Eight (61%) had stage I, 1 (8%) had stage II and 4 (31%) had stage III diseases. Six had unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 6 had total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and 1 had bilateral oophorectomy. Ten (77%) had adjuvant chemotherapy predominantly with bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin combination. All patients with stage I and stage II tumours were alive with no evidence of disease at ½ year to 5 years follow-up. Of the 4 patients with stage IIIC diseases, 2 with optimal debulking surgery were alive and disease free at 4 and 7 years after surgery. The other 2 patients with stage IIIC tumours had multiple bulky residual tumours. One of them with a combination of endodermal sinus tumour and embryonal carcinoma died of progressive disease despite chemotherapy 6 months after surgery and the other with mixed endodermal sinus tumour and dysgerminoma was alive with disease at 6 months. Alpha-fetoprotein levels were raised in all 6 patients with endodermal sinus tumour, either pure or combined with other tumours. Regression of alpha-fetoprotein levels was of important prognostic significance in endodermal sinus tumour.