Home    | About Us    | News & Events    | Academic Affiliates    | Contact Us    | Directions

Health Information Services Physicians Referring Physicians Hospitals and Clinics MyHealth Patients & Visitors Faculty & Staff

Ellis Fischel Cancer Center 115 Business Loop 70 W. Columbia, MO 65203 (573) 882-2100 About Clinical Trials Directions Disease Sites Ellis Fischel Gala Ellis Magazine E-mail a Patient E-mail Us Employment Gift Shop Guest House Index A to Z Make a Gift Margaret Proctor Mulligan     Breast Health Center Phone Numbers Physician Information Support Groups Treatment Programs Submit Comments

GTD Treatment

Blood Tests

Molar pregnancies need to be removed promptly. Once removed, the woman must get weekly blood tests for the hormone, beta HCG. This needs to be done until the level falls to less than two. Monitoring w/blood tests continues for a total of a year at increasing intervals. During this time, the woman needs to be on reliable birth control, either with birth control pills or the injection, Depo Provera. This is very important because if the woman were to get pregnant, causing the beta HCG hormone to rise, makes it very difficult to know if the abnormal pregnancy cells were coming back or if it was merely the new pregnancy. This same blood test schedule and birth control recommendations are also followed if a woman has been treated for choriocarcinoma.

Chemotherapy

Anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapy) are used to treat woman with GTD who have had a molar pregnancy and their beta HCG hormone levels begin to rise or fail to drop as they should. It is also used to treat woman who have choriocarcinoma. The type of chemotherapy drugs and the schedule they are given is determined by an examination and testing to see whether the abnormal cells have spread to anywhere else in the woman's body. This is usually done by a special x-ray test called a CT scan. A CT scan will be ordered to look at all areas in the body where the abnormal cells may collect and grow to form a tumor; the pelvis, abdomen, liver, lungs, and brain. The schedule and type of drugs vary from a single drug given weekly to an intense schedule of 3 - 5 drugs given in a variety of ways until the beta HCG level goes down to a normal range.

Surgery

Surgery is usually only required if a woman receiving several chemotherapy drugs begins to have a rise in her beta HCG hormone level even though she is getting treatment. The goal of therapy is to remove the tumor which is not shrinking from the chemotherapy drugs. Sometimes removal of the uterus is required, in addition to part or all of an organ where the tumor is, the kidney, or lungs, for example.

Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Diagnosis