How to treat teratoma? Complete list of treatment methods

I don’t know if you have heard of ovarian teratoma. It is a common ovarian disease in women, and its incidence rate accounts for 10-20% of ovarian tumors. Ovarian teratoma is a benign tumor derived from germ cells and is a congenital tumor. So what are the ways to treat ovarian teratoma?

1: Ovarian teratoma can undergo tumor anti-cancer testing. If pathological examination is required, you should apply for frozen sections to avoid a second surgery.

2: After ovarian teratoma surgery, pregnancy can be achieved as long as normal ovarian function is restored. After the teratoma is diagnosed, it is best to treat it as soon as possible, preferably with surgery.

3: Teratomas can be divided into benign and malignant ones, but malignant teratomas are different from other ovarian malignant tumors. Teratomas are formed by another embryo during fetal development and do not belong to the patient's own tissue. Neither benign nor malignant represents the nature of the patient's own ovarian tissue. As long as the surgery is delicate and the technique is skilled, the teratoma can be completely separated and the patient's own ovarian tissue can be retained. Therefore, in the treatment of ovarian teratoma, no matter whether the teratoma is benign or malignant, it is not necessary to remove the ovaries.

Among the treatment methods for ovarian teratoma, laparotomy is limited by the incision, has a small field of view, and is difficult to operate. It is often not easy to remove the teratoma tissue cleanly. Laparoscopic surgery has a wide field of view and a magnifying effect, which can completely remove the teratoma tissue without contaminating the abdominal cavity. At the same time, it is convenient to explore the contralateral ovary (more than 50% of teratomas are bilateral and occur successively). Therefore, ovarian teratoma is treated with laparoscopic surgery without laparotomy.

For patients with large or extensively infiltrated malignant teratomas that are clinically judged to be unresectable, preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy can be used to shrink the tumor before performing radical surgery, which is of positive significance in improving the surgical resection rate and preserving important organs. For advanced cases, preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy can also achieve the therapeutic goals of relieving tumor pressure, controlling metastases, and gaining the opportunity for reoperation.

Ovarian teratoma is generally asymptomatic clinically, but may cause abdominal distension, mild abdominal pain and compression symptoms as it grows. The contents of the teratoma are composed of a variety of mature tissues from 2 to 3 germ layers, most of which are ectoderm tissues. Therefore, squamous epithelium, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, hair and mature nerve tissue, as well as mesoderm fat cartilage and bone tissue can be seen in the cyst. About half of the ovarian dermoid cysts contain teeth.

Generally speaking, the prognosis of immature teratoma is poor. Surgery cannot guarantee complete and clean elimination of it, and there is a risk of recurrence. The prognosis of benign teratomas is better. The possibility of benign teratomas becoming malignant is only 2%-3%. It does not affect ovarian function. After surgery, menstruation is normal, the pregnancy rate is normal, and there is no problem of recurrence.