Preservation of fertility likely after ovarian cancer

Women with malignant ovarian tumours who undergo surgery can now retain menstrual function and fertility. Malignant ovarian germ cell tumours — cancerous tumours that form in the egg, or "germ" cells within the ovary — tend to affect adolescents or young women. Researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston compared 132 ovarian germ cell tumour survivors who had been treated with surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy with 137 healthy women. The results showed that 71 of the 132 cancer patients had undergone fertility-sparing surgery. Of these 71 women, 62 (87 per cent) continue to have menstrual periods. In addition, 37 children had been born to 24 women following their cancer treatment. Compared with the controls, the cancer survivors had significantly greater reproductive concerns, less sexual pleasure and lower scores on the sexual activity scale. However, they scored higher in terms of relationships with significant others, within or outside of marriages. The findings showed that the overall outlook for young patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumours is very good. However, only about half the patients in the study group had undergone fertility-sparing surgery. This low number reflects that many of the patients underwent primary surgery by non-specialists who performed unnecessary sterilising surgery in many cases. Thus, it is important for young patients and their families to go for counselling for future reproduction and sexuality before they have surgery and chemotherapy.