Stage III Cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread to lymph nodes or to other body parts inside the abdomen, such as the surface of the liver or intestine. Stage IV Cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread outside the abdomen or has spread to the inside of the liver. It may come back in the ovary that is left or in another place. There are treatments for all patients with ovarian germ cell tumor. Surgery is the most common treatment for ovarian germ cell tumor.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the ovary. Following radiation or chemotherapy, sometimes an operation called a second-look laparotomy is done. This is similar to the laparotomy that is done to determine the stage of the cancer. During the second-look operation, your doctor will take samples of lymph nodes and other tissues in the abdomen to see if any cancer is left.