ESGO-SIOPe Guidelines for Non-Epithelial Ovarian Cancers in Adolescents and Young Adults

ESGO in cooperation with the European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPe) has released the recommendations for the treatment of adolescents and young adults with non-epithelial ovarian tumours, which have been published in July 2020 in The Lancet Oncology.

These first ever clinically relevant and evidence-based guidelines were developed in response to a growing need to improve the quality of care for adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 25 years with  these rare tumours, including malignant ovarian germ cell tumours, sex cord-stromal tumours, and small cell carcinoma of the ovary of hypercalcaemic type.

The developmental process of these guidelines is based on a systematic literature review and critical appraisal process involving an international multidisciplinary developmental group consisting of experts from relevant disciplines (paediatric oncology, paediatric surgery, medical oncology, pathology, psycho-oncology, gynaecological oncology, and reproductive endocrinology).

Given the specific and often complex issues involved in treating this group of patients, fertility sparing surgery and decrease of acute and long-term toxicities from treatment were important criteria for guidelines definition.

Prior to publication, the guidelines were reviewed by 54 independent international practitioners in cancer care delivery.