title: Clinicopathologic characteristics of malignant germ cell tumors in the ovaries of Korean women: a Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.
abstract: From January 1995 to December 2000, medical records of 196 patients were collected from 14 hospitals nationwide and were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the clinicopathologic characteristics of malignant germ cell tumors in the ovaries of South Korean women and determined the prognostic factors affecting recurrence. The mean patient age was 23.8 years (range, 4-63 years), and the median follow-up period was 67 months (range, 1-128 months). The distribution of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage was as follows: 128 cases (65.3%) in stage I, 27 cases (13.8%) in stage II, 39 cases (19.9%) in stage III, and 2 cases (1.0%) in stage IV. Histologically, immature teratoma was the most common tumor type (n = 68), followed by dysgerminoma (n = 54), endodermal sinus tumor (n = 38), mixed form (n = 24), and choriocarcinoma (n = 12). A fertility-sparing operation was performed in 134 patients, staging operation in 43 patients, and hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in 19 patients. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered in 166 patients, and the most common regimen was bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (n = 120). Recurrence was observed in 13 patients (6.8%) and was influenced by the stage of the tumor and patient age (>40 years). The 5-year survival rate was 96.7%. During the follow-up period, 20 patients had 22 pregnancies that resulted in 17 normal deliveries at term and 5 abortions. The results of this study demonstrate that most malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary in Korean women are detected in the early stage and have excellent survival outcomes with conservative operation and platinum-based chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kwandong University, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Seoul, Korea. 1103khl@hanmail.net
authors.forename: Ki Heon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: In Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byoung Gie
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Won Kyu
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soon Beom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sang Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Chi Heum
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Ho Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyung Tai
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult