Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Mixed germ cell tumours (GCTs) are a rare pathology, particularly those comprising yolk sac tumour (YST) and mature cystic teratomas. Although one important biomarker for YSTs is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which is often characteristically elevated, this may not be the case in a minority of cases. Additionally, AFP is not usually elevated in mixed GCTs, more so in cases involving mature cystic teratoma, even with YST as a component of the tumour, as seen in the index patient who had a normal AFB value of 5 ng/mL (normal: 0-10 ng/mL). Furthermore, in postmenopausal women with stage 1 mixed GCTs, the preferred treatment is non-fertility-sparing surgery without chemotherapy. Despite the generally poor prognosis for GCTs in this demographic, early detection and treatment can lead to favourable outcomes. This report details a case of a 58-year-old woman with a stage 1 mixed GCT who underwent extensive surgery without chemotherapy and has remained tumour-free for 24 months, attributing her good prognosis to the low stage and early intervention, along with the YST component.
Source: Cureus
Institutions: Babcock University, University Hospital Coventry, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, The Chiltern Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Ebonyi State University, King Fahad Specialist Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7161590105