Gestational trophoblastic disease

Definition

Gestational trophoblastic disease, or choriocarcinoma, is an aggressive, malignant, often metastatic (spreading) cancer in the uterus that begins following a pregnancy, a miscarriage, or an abortion.

Choriocarciona is among the most sensitive cancers to chemotherapy. As such, even when choriocarcinoma is metastatic, the cure rate is between 90 - 95%.

Alternative Names

Causes

Hydatidiform mole is a condition which develops when a pregnancy has many complications. Conception takes place, but placental tissue grows very fast, rather than supporting the growth of a fetus.

The result is a tumor, rather than a baby. This is known as a molar pregnancy. There are only about 3,000 molar preganancies per year in the United States.

Choriocarcinoma is a similar type of growth. In approximately one-half of cases of choriocarcinoma, the preceding factor is hydatidiform mole. However, only 5 - 10% of molar pregnancies are associated with later choriocarcinoma. Therefore, choriocarcinoma remains an uncommon, yet almost always curable, cancer that can be associated with pregnancy.

Nearly one-fourth of choriocarcinomas follow a term pregnancy from which a normal child has been delivered. The remainder follow an abortion (spontaneous, elective, or therapeutic), ectopic pregnancy, or genital tumor.