Treatment of Malignant Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Dysgerminomas

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of newly diagnosed stage I dysgerminomas of the ovary may include the following:

• Surgery (unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) followed by observation. Chemotherapy may be given if tumor marker levels do not decrease after surgery or the tumor comes back.
• A clinical trial of a new regimen of surgery followed by observation.

Treatment of newly diagnosed stages II–IV dysgerminomas of the ovary may include the following:

• Surgery (unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) followed by chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, followed by surgery (unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy).

Nongerminomas

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of newly diagnosed nongerminomas of the ovary, such as yolk sac tumors, mixed germ cell tumors, choriocarcinoma, and embryonal carcinomas, in young girls may include the following:

• Surgery followed by observation for stage I tumors.
• Surgery followed by chemotherapy for stage I–IV tumors.
• A clinical trial of a new regimen of surgery followed by observation for stage I tumors or chemotherapy for stage II–IV.

Treatment of newly diagnosed nongerminomas of the ovary in adolescents and young women may include the following:

• Surgery and chemotherapy for stage I–IV tumors.
• A clinical trial of a new regimen of surgery followed by observation for stage I or chemotherapy for stage II–IV.

Treatment of newly diagnosed nongerminomas of the ovary that cannot be removed by primary surgery without risk to nearby tissue may include the following:

• Biopsy followed by chemotherapy and surgery.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.