OBJECTIVETo investigate the development regularity, treatment methods and prognosis of ovary immature teratoma (POIT).

METHODSSixty-seven patients with POIT, admitted from 1958 to 1998, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 31 patients with stage I, 4 with stage II, 2 with stage III and 1 with stage IV lesions. Twenty-seven patients had recurrences and 2 had distant metastases. Unilateral adnexectomy was performed for stage I lesions. From the 1980s, this was followed by four-cycles of combination chemotherapy (VAC, PVB or BEP x 3 cycles) as post-operative adjuvant therapy. Combined chemotherapy and multiple operations were performed for advanced and recurrent lesions.

RESULTSThe overall survival rate was 75% (50/67). However, there was a remarkable difference in the results from the various periods. From 1958 to 1983, the 5-year survival rate was 40% (6/15), and it was raised to 79% (26/33) from 1984 to 1993. In the period 1994 to 1998, 95% (18/19)of patients were rescued. Thirty-five patients who had early lesions (stage I and II) had a 5-year survival rate of 91.4% (32/35). Thirty-two patients with recurrent or advanced lesions had a 5-years survival rate of 56% (18/32). There were 8 patients with grade III tumors and their 5-year survival rate was only 25% (2/8). The chief prognostic factors for this disease are clinical stage, pathological grade and adequate treatment.

CONCLUSIONPOIT is a potentially curable disease in today's practice. It is characterized by the fact that recurrent tumors may be converted back to mature ones as time goes on. With chemotherapy, these is a good opportunity to rescue those patients with recurrent tumors. At present, treatment of POIT gives the most satisfactory results among all malignant ovarian germ cell tumor types. Tests of serum specific tumor markers (CA19-9, AFP, CA125, CEA) performed preoperatively or before chemotherapy and during follow-up have been found helpful in the evaluation of prognosis.