Pregnancy following surgery and chemotherapy for ovarian germ cell tumors.

Abstract

e16550 Background: Malignant ovarian germ cell tumours(OGCT) are a rare disease, accounting for 2% of all malignant ovarian tumours diagnosed in Ireland between 1994 - 2010. They affect a younger population than epithelial ovarian cancer, with the highest number of cases in the second and third decade. In this report, we present a review of patients treated in a tertiary referral centre. Methods: We performed a retrospective review over a 26 year period in our institution. We examined clinical records, pathology, pharmacy and surgical databases to identify patients with ovarian germ cell tumours who were treated in our institution. Results: During the period 1986 – 2012, twenty patients were treated and followed at this institution for malignant ovarian germ cell tumor (OGCT). Eighteen patients are alive and well at a median follow up of 14.5 years (range 0.5 – 26). Nineteen patients received platinum based chemotherapy with a median number of four cycles (range 2 – 6) required to achieve complete remission. Twenty percent of patients had yolk sac histology; the next commonest were immature teratomas and mixed germ cell tumour (10 & 15% respectively). The commonest chemotherapy regimen used was BEP (bleomyocin, etoposide and cistplatin). Six patients (30%) underwent resection of residual disease post chemo revealing mature teratoma/necrotic tissue. During follow up, four patients had progressive or recurrent disease. Two patients at resection had mature teratomas found on histological examination. The remaining two patients (10%) had progressive disease and died within a short time period. In our patient population, nine of nine attempting pregnancy have been successful. There have been 12 pregnancies carried to term; mother and child in each case are well. At a median follow up of 14.5 years (range 0.5 – 26), there have been no second malignancies and no toxicities attributable to chemotherapy. Conclusions: We have shown that platinum based chemo in OGCT is associated with preservation of fertility in these young women. In our series there have been no adverse affects in women or their infants. Platinum based chemo highly successful in curing OGCT and this confirms that it is associated with preserved fertility in these young women.