Chemotherapy in ovarian germ cell tumors: A systematic review

• Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCT) are rare, making up 1% of ovarian tumors.
• Treatment for malignant OGCT has largely been extrapolated from testicular cancer literature.
• Platinum-based chemotherapy improves survival in women diagnosed with malignant OGCT.

ObjectiveOvarian germ cell tumors (OGCTs) are rare tumors that comprise a diverse group of histologic subtypes that can either be benign or malignant. Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCTs) historically carried a poor prognosis, especially among those diagnosed with advanced disease. With the advent of combination chemotherapy, risk of relapse has markedly decreased. There is limited prospective data on the efficacy of specific chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of malignant OGCTs. This article critically reviews the literature pertinent to the treatment of OGCTs with chemotherapy.MethodsMEDLINE was searched for English language literature on prospective studies on the treatment of malignant OGCTs, focusing on publications since 1995.ResultsAs modern chemotherapy regimens have evolved, risk of relapse has decreased with implementation of platinum based regimens in the adjuvant setting. However, the role of neoadjuvant platinum based regimens and treatment of metastatic or recurrent malignant OGCTs remains poorly understood due to lack of randomized control trials.ConclusionsMalignant OGCTs represent a rare subset of ovarian neoplasms for which focused, prospective clinical trials are needed to determine the most effective therapies.