Fertility-Sparing Surgery for Stage I Immature Ovarian Teratoma
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage I
- Sex
- female
- Treatment
- surgery
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Initial laparoscopic cystectomy unexpectedly found an immature ovarian teratoma.
- Fertility-sparing restaging surgery then removed the left ovary and fallopian tube and visible pelvic lesions while preserving the uterus and right ovary.
- Three cycles of BEP chemotherapy were recommended, but she declined chemotherapy and chose observation.
What happened, in summary
A 31-year-old woman sought care for left lower abdominal pain and a palpable pelvic mass. Imaging showed a complex left ovarian lesion measuring almost 10 cm. A laparoscopic cystectomy was performed for what appeared to be a benign dermoid cyst, but pathology unexpectedly showed a grade 1 immature ovarian teratoma. The cyst had ruptured during surgery, and she was referred for specialist care.
She underwent fertility-sparing robotic restaging surgery. The operation removed the left ovary and fallopian tube and resected visible pelvic lesions while preserving the uterus and right ovary. Pathology found teratomatous disease in the left ovary and several pelvic biopsy sites. Her ovarian cancer was Stage I.
Her multidisciplinary team recommended 3 cycles of BEP chemotherapy, but she declined chemotherapy and chose observation. She later conceived spontaneously and had a normal vaginal delivery in March 2011. At 19 months of follow-up, she had no evidence of disease.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by PMC / PubMed Central. Read the original in full
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Collections this story belongs to
- Stage 1 Ovarian Cancer 17 stories
- Surgery for Ovarian Cancer 142 stories
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer