Oncologist calls for greater awareness of ovarian germ cell tumours among young women

Dr. Gynecological oncologist and robotic surgeon from Narayana Health City, Bengaluru. Rohit R. Ranade highlighted the need for increased awareness about Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors (OGCTs), a rare but highly treatable group of ovarian cancers affecting teenage girls and young women.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Dr. Ranade said the “Hope and Healing: Understanding Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors” campaign aims to educate families in Kalaburagi, Bidar, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Yadgir and Raichur districts about early diagnosis and treatment possibilities.

Dr. Ranade said timely diagnosis, advanced surgical expertise and multidisciplinary care have helped many patients in the North Karnataka region recover fully while preserving their fertility. “Awareness is the first step to saving lives. Many young women are unaware that when treatment is started early, these tumors can often be completely cured and fertility preserved,” he said.

He explained that OGCTs account for only 2-3% of ovarian cancers, but occur predominantly in younger age groups. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, swelling, or a rapidly growing mass are often ignored, leading to a delay in diagnosis. Dr. According to Ranade, Narayana Health City’s approach, early diagnosis, fertility-sparing surgery and modern chemotherapy have yielded excellent results.

Sharing two cases to highlight the treatment success, Dr Ranade said that in the first case, a 21-year-old woman who was diagnosed with a large mixed germ cell tumor underwent fertility-sparing surgery, followed by chemotherapy and later became pregnant naturally. In the second case, a 28-year-old female patient who had a rare malignant transformation within a dermoid cyst was successfully treated with robotic surgery and is now free of the disease.

Dr. Ranade added that Narayana Health has expanded its outreach OPDs in Kalaburagi and Raichur to improve access to specialized evaluation and follow-up care for women with ovarian-related symptoms.