Fertility after chemotherapy for ovarian germ cell tumours

Gonadal function was assessed in 17 women who successfully completed chemotherapy with the POMB/ACE regimen (cisplatin, vincristine [Oncovin], methotrexate, bleomycin/actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, etoposide) for ovarian germ cell tumours, and had a remaining ovary and uterus. A 20-year-old girl has not yet recovered menstruation 5 months off chemotherapy. All the remaining women whose mean age at start of chemotherapy was 21 (9-38) are now menstruating with a median time of recovery of 41/2 months after completion of chemotherapy. Five women have so far conceived after chemotherapy resulting in three full term normal deliveries of healthy infants, one termination of pregnancy, two miscarriages and one continuing pregnancy. Gonadal function does not appear to be permanently impaired in the majority of patients receiving POMB/ACE chemotherapy for ovarian germ cell tumours.