REVIEW   

Minerva Ginecologica 2018 December;70(6):750-3

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4784.18.04194-1

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Is fertility sparing surgery a treatment option for young patients with yolk sac tumor?

Christos IAVAZZO ¹, George VORGIAS ², Paraskevi E. IAVAZZO ³, Evelyn E. MINIS ⁴, Ioannis D. GKEGKES ⁴ ✉

¹ Department of Gynecological Oncology, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK; ² Department of Gynecological Oncology, Metaxa Cancer Hospital, Piraeus, Greece; ³ Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Rethymno, Rethymno, Crete, Greece; ⁴ First Department of Surgery, General Hospital of Attica “KAT”, Athens, Greece

Yolk sac tumor (YST) is the third most frequent ovarian germ cell type ovarian tumor. YST occurs primarily in young girls and in women at reproductive age and thus, the preservation of fertility is considered to be a crucial option if possible for these patients. Compared to previous years, the use of innovative chemotherapeutic regimens in the treatment of YSTs improved significantly the prognosis and outcomes of this rare type of neoplasia. As YSTs are chemosensitive, this fact favors fertility sparing surgical approach and less aggressive type of operations. We present a narrative review of the multispecialty fertility sparing surgical and medical approach of women with YST.

KEY WORDS: Endodermal sinus tumor - Germinoma - Fertility preservation - Premenopause