From the Guidelines
Patients with stage IA grade 1 immature teratoma do not require further adjuvant chemotherapy after adequate surgical staging 1.
Teratoma Overview
A teratoma is a type of tumor that contains different types of tissue, such as hair, muscle, teeth, or bone, and can be benign or malignant.
- These tumors develop from germ cells, which are the cells that normally develop into eggs or sperm.
- Teratomas can occur anywhere in the body, though they're most commonly found in the ovaries, testicles, tailbone, and central nervous system.
Treatment Approach
Treatment typically involves surgical removal of the tumor, with additional chemotherapy or radiation if the teratoma is malignant 1.
- The prognosis for benign teratomas is generally excellent after complete surgical removal.
- Malignant teratomas require more aggressive treatment and monitoring, with the 5-day bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin (BEP) regimen being the most commonly used combination 1.
Fertility-Sparing Considerations
Given the young age of patients, all efforts should be made to preserve fertility, and fertility-sparing surgery appears to be safe with excellent survival after long-term follow-up 1.
- Stage IA pure dysgerminoma should be treated with surgery only, and patients with stage IA grade 1 immature teratoma do not require further adjuvant chemotherapy after adequate surgical staging 1.
- The need for adjuvant chemotherapy in stage IA G2–G3 and IB–IC is still controversial, and the benefit of not having chemotherapy needs to be discussed with the patient 1.
From the Research
Definition and Types of Teratoma
- A teratoma is a type of tumor that contains several different types of tissues, including hair, muscle, and bone 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Teratomas can be benign or malignant, and can occur in various parts of the body, including the testicles, ovaries, and brain 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Treatment of Teratoma
- The treatment of teratoma depends on the location, size, and type of tumor, as well as the patient's overall health 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Surgery is often the primary treatment for teratoma, and may be combined with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in some cases 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Chemotherapy regimens such as BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin) and VIP (etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin) have been used to treat teratoma 2, 5
Prognosis and Outcomes
- The prognosis for patients with teratoma varies depending on the type and location of the tumor, as well as the effectiveness of treatment 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- In general, patients with benign teratomas have a better prognosis than those with malignant teratomas 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- The 5-year survival rate for patients with intracranial teratomas is approximately 74% 6
Growing Teratoma Syndrome
- Growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) is a rare condition in which a teratoma continues to grow despite chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy 5
- GTS is often resistant to chemotherapy and radiation, and surgical resection is typically the most effective treatment 5
- Complete surgical resection can result in excellent disease control and long-term survival in patients with GTS 5