Management of ovarian germ cell tumours

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumours are rare but they occur in women with a mean age of 19 years. It is important that these young patients are not subjected to radical surgery. In most of these patients, they can be cured with either surgery alone and careful surveillance with a combination of clinical examination, computer tomography scanning and serial serum tumour markers. Almost all of those with metastatic disease can be cured with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. A relapse is rare and most of these young patients will recover menstruation within two to six months of completing their chemotherapy and provided they have not had radical surgery, most of these patients should be able to complete their families normally.