Rare Case In Mumbai: 55-Year-Old Woman Found With Two Cancers In One Ovarian Tumour

Mumbai, 31st August 2026: Mumbai doctors have reported an extremely rare case involving two distinct cancers found within a single ovarian tumour in 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. Doctors at the state-run GT Hospital-CAMA and Albless Hospital identified the two malignancies following detailed pathological examination.

The postmenopausal woman had been experiencing abdominal pain and a palpable lump for around two months. Medical investigations revealed a large solid-cystic tumour near the right ovary. Her CA-125 level, a blood marker commonly used to assess and monitor ovarian cancer, 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.

Further histopathological examination revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma developing within a mature cystic ovarian teratoma, alongside ovarian clear cell carcinoma.

According to the doctors, the combination is exceptionally rare and is reportedly the first case of both malignancies occurring together within a single ovarian tumour.

A mature cystic teratoma is a type of ovarian germ-cell tumour that can contain different mature tissues, including skin, hair, fat and other tissue types. While malignant transformation in these tumours is uncommon, occurring in around 1–3% of cases, thyroid cancer developing within a teratoma is considered extremely rare.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the malignancy most frequently reported in cases where a mature cystic teratoma undergoes malignant transformation.

In this case, further evaluation showed that the cancer remained confined to the ovary, with no evidence of spread to the surrounding lymph nodes on CT imaging.

The patient remained stable following surgery and was discharged after treatment.

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.

Doctors said the case highlights the importance of detailed pathological examination of ovarian tumours, particularly in postmenopausal women, as the exact nature of rare tumours may only become clear after surgical removal and microscopic examination.