Long-term outcome and prognostic factors for yolk sac tumor of the ovary

Abstract

Yolk sac tumors of the ovary (YST) are rare and highly malignant tumors occurring in children and young adults. Because of its rarity, YST prognostic factors remain unclear. Our purpose was to evaluate the prognostic factors in YST. We performed a retrospective review of 36 patients with pure YST from 1986 to 2006. The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 66.6% and 68.8%, respectively. Patients with stage I-II disease had a more favorable prognosis than those with stage III-IV (p < 0.05). Those with an ascites volume of less than 100 ml or a residual tumor measuring less than 1 cm had improved to a relatively good prognosis. Neither serum AFP level nor age had any significant correlation with the prognosis in this study. In conclusion, the FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage, ascites volume and residual tumor size tended to affect the prognosis of YST.