Surgery for germ cell tumors

We performed a review of the current modalities of surgical treatment of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors by clinical stages and histological types. Stage IA dysgerminoma is performed with a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO) without chemotherapy. However, for Stage IB or IC patients with dysgerminoma, USO plus chemotherapy as a primary treatment may or may not be followed with a second-look operation (SLO). For non-dysgerminomas, USO is indicated only for Stage IA immature teratoma grade 1. The treatment for Stage IA immature teratoma grade 2 or 3 and other histological types is USO plus chemotherapy. Patients with Stage IB, IC or higher with non-dysgerminoma are treated with USO plus chemotherapy or USO with contralateral partial ovariectomy plus chemotherapy. For patients who require non-conservative surgery, a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) plus chemotherapy are performed. For patients with Stage II of all histological types, conservative surgery consists of USO and a cytoreductive operation plus chemotherapy, followed by SLO or a second cytoreductive operation. For non-conservative surgery, TAH+BSO with or without a cytoreductive operation plus chemotherapy is followed by SLO. Conservative surgery for patients with Stage III and IV is USO and a cytoreductive operation plus chemotherapy followed by a second cytoreductive operation. Non-conservative surgery is TAH+BSO with a cytoreductive operation plus chemotherapy, followed by SLO or a second cytoreductive operation. However, primary or secondary cytoreductive surgery with or without lymphadenectomy and SLO are still controversial in terms of improving patient survival.