Ovarian yolk sac tumor in postmenopausal females: a report of five cases and a literature review

Purpose of investigation: Little is known regarding ovarian yolk sac tumor (YST) in postmenopausal females. The authors aimed to investigate the clinical features and prognosis of postmenopausal patients with ovarian YST. Materials and Methods: Five cases of ovarian YST in postmenopausal females were retrospectively reviewed. A MEDLINE search was performed to identify postmenopausal patients with ovarian YST Results: Four patients had Stage I or II disease (Stage IC, IIC, and IIB in one, two, and one patient, respectively), and one patient demonstrated an unclear stage. All five patients received surgery and postoperative chemotherapy. Four of the patients received chemotherapy with a regimen of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin, and one patient received cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy. Of the four patients who had no residual tumors at the initial surgery, three patients recurred at 3.0, 8.5, and 9.0 months after diagnosis, respectively. The three patients who had recurrence lived for an additional time of 21.8, 10.0, and 11.5 months after relapse. Four patients died of the disease at 30.8, 18.5, 14.5, and 8.5 months after diagnosis; one patient survived without tumor at 40.0 months. The three-year survival was 20.0%. Of the 12 cases identified from the literature, the three-year survival was 34.0%. Conclusion: The clinical features of ovarian YST in postmenopausal females, such as stage distribution, were similar compared to young patients. Postmenopausal patients with ovarian YST may have a worse prognosis compared to young patients.