Mumbai, August 31, 2026: In an extremely rare medical case, doctors at the state-run GT Hospital-CAMA and Albless Hospital in Mumbai have detected two different cancers within a single ovarian tumour of a 55-year-old woman.
The 27-cm tumour was found to contain papillary thyroid carcinoma arising from a mature ovarian teratoma, along with ovarian clear cell carcinoma.
Rare Cancer Combination Detected
The case was reported by Dr Tushar Palve, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Ashwini Natekar, Assistant Professor of Pathology, Dr Radhika K., Assistant Professor of Pathology, and Dr Ashwini G., Associate Professor of Pathology.
Their research has been published in the International Journal of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The doctors said the combination is exceptionally rare and represents the first reported case of both malignancies occurring together in a single ovarian tumour.
The 55-year-old postmenopausal woman had been experiencing abdominal pain and a palpable lump for around two months. Investigations revealed a large solid-cystic tumour near the right ovary. Interestingly, her CA-125 level, a blood marker commonly used to help assess ovarian cancer and monitor treatment, was within the normal range.
Doctors performed surgery to remove the uterus, both ovaries and fallopian tubes. The excised tumour measured approximately 27 × 25 × 17 cm. Detailed histopathological examination revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma arising within a mature cystic ovarian teratoma, along with ovarian clear cell carcinoma.
Malignant Transformation In Teratoma
A teratoma is a type of ovarian germ-cell tumour that can contain different kinds of mature tissues, such as skin, hair, fat or other tissue types. According to Dr Palve, mature cystic teratoma is one of the more common germ-cell tumours of the ovary, but malignant transformation within it is uncommon, occurring in around 1–3% of cases. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequently reported malignancy in such tumours, while thyroid cancer developing within a teratoma is extremely rare.
The case was considered particularly unusual because two distinct malignancies — papillary thyroid carcinoma and clear cell carcinoma — were identified in the same ovarian tumour.
Cancer Confined To Ovary
Further evaluation showed that the cancer was confined to the ovary, with no evidence of spread to the surrounding lymph nodes on CT imaging. The patient remained stable after surgery and was discharged following treatment.
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Doctors said the case highlights the importance of detailed pathological examination of ovarian tumours, particularly in postmenopausal women. They added that the exact nature of some rare tumours may only become apparent after surgical removal and microscopic examination.
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