Immature Teratoma (Malignant) - good prognois

Hello! I'd like to share with you especially for those who have dermoid cysts (teratoma). Here's my brief history about the disease:

10/20 Emergency laprotomy - taking out a 18cm x 15 cm tumor
10/30 Pathology report came back positive - it is malignant and the surgeon told me that they have to do a "staging" surgery and chemo.
11/28 After a long wait, I finally met with the gyn/oncologist.  He's one of the top docs in the nation.  Good news - he thinks I don't need another surgery nor chemo based on the following reasons:
1. Since I just turned 33 and still want to preserved fertility,  the ocologist thinks staging surgery (complete hysterectomy for biopsy)is not an option.  
2. The recurrence rate of the immature teratoma is very low (1%) and if it recurs, the curable rate is very high and it's usually beneign.
3.  He will order CT scan and other blood tests every 6 months for the next 2 years.  As he said, if it recurs, it usually happens within 2 years.

This news is too good to be true, but I might get a second opinion just to get a peace of mind.  In the past, docs always do hysterectomy and a few rounds of chemo just to be safe.  However, I do have some doubts as mime is in between grade 2 and 3.  So it's high grade.  And I don't know what "stage" it is as he is not going to do staging.  At least at this moment, I can move on one day at a time - can't worry too much.

Wish you all the best in your surgery and recovery!

[bluehairedmary]

Thank you for sharing. Good luck to you and keep us updated.

[rissaroo]

I'm very curious about your imature teratoma or about the doctor you saw.  I recently had a teratoma removed and am not going through chemo which is very hard I would much rather skip the chemo.  I was wondering did your teratoma constricted or did it have a leak or anything like that.

[Marg 5]

My grandaughter had stage 4 teratoma and it had leaked into her system. She lost one overy and had very agresive chemo to treat it. She was only 13 when diagnosed. She is now on 3 monthly scans and blood test. Everything looks fine for her now. Fingers crossed that all will be well for her. She has just turned 14

[rors]

I was 21 years old when i was diagnosed with Stage 3b ovarian immature teratoma. My first operation was Jan 07; they took out a 20x16x10cm immature teratoma from my left ovary.

I underwent 4 cycles of BEP, and 3 cycles of Paclitaxel-Carboplatin and had a 2nd surgery (recurrent tumor resection). Then another 3 cycles of Pacli-Carbo followed.

Dec 07 MRI scan showed another pelvic mass. During the 3rd surgery (supposedly tumor resection), they found nothing, just adhesion and Gliomatosis Peritonei (a rare benign peritoneal implant). what was thought to be a mass in the MRI scan, was just my bowels which descended to my cul-de-sac.

I have just been proclaimed cancer-free today. I'm 22 years old. yay =)

[CaydensMommy]

Hi! I had grades 1-2 stage 3A ovarian immature teratoma at age 26 in Oct. 2005. I had several opinions, most of which recommended chemo, but I chose not to do chemo on the opinion of one gyn/onc that wrote a textbook chapter on immature teratoma. So far so good. I haven't had a recurrance, but I have had benign cysts on my remaining ovary that I really agonized over because the only way they can tell for sure if it's a recurrance is to have surgery. I had a benign serous cyst removed at the end of March 2007. I have had other cysts since then and had to have ultrasounds every month for awhile, but now I haven't had a cyst since August. I hope that you do get a second opinion just for your peace of mind. I'm a little confused-I'm not sure why they didn't do the staging during your first surgery. I know it was emergency, but so was my laparotomy for a 13 cm tumor, and they did the staging then. Usually, you don't have a complete hysterectomy for immature teratoma. You usually have a unilateral salpingo oopherectomy like I had, which preserves your fertility because you still have one ovary and a uterus. Did they take out one of your ovaries with the tumor? Did they grade the tumor? If they graded the tumor as a grade 1 only, they usually don't recommend chemo, but if it is higher than grade 1, a lot of doctors will recommend chemo. From what I've heard immature teratoma is rare at your age; they told me it was rare at my age-that it usually happens to 18-19 year-olds.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers!

God bless,

Glenda