Treatment Options for Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Hydatidiform Moles
Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia
        Low-risk Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia
        High-risk Metastatic Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia
        Placental-Site Gestational Trophoblastic Tumors and Epithelioid Trophoblastic Tumors
Recurrent or Resistant Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types of gestational trophoblastic disease, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Treatment of a hydatidiform mole may include the following:

• Surgery (Dilatation and curettage with suction evacuation) to remove the tumor.

After surgery, beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) blood tests are done every week until the β-hCG level returns to normal. Patients also have follow-up doctor visits monthly for up to 6 months. If the level of β-hCG does not return to normal or increases, it may mean the hydatidiform mole was not completely removed and it has become cancer. Pregnancy causes β-hCG levels to increase, so your doctor will ask you not to become pregnant until follow-up is finished.

For disease that remains after surgery, treatment is usually chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with hydatidiform mole. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) (invasive mole or choriocarcinoma) may include the following:

• Chemotherapy with one or more anticancer drugs. Treatment is given until the beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level is normal for at least 3 weeks after treatment ends.

If the level of β-hCG in the blood does not return to normal or the tumor spreads to distant parts of the body, chemotherapy regimens used for high-risk metastatic GTN are given.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with low risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of high-risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (invasive mole or choriocarcinoma) may include the following:

• Combination chemotherapy.
• Intrathecal chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the brain (for cancer that has spread to the lung, to keep it from spreading to the brain).
• High-dose chemotherapy or intrathecal chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to the brain (for cancer that has spread to the brain).

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with high risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of stage I placental-site gestational trophoblastic tumors and epithelioid trophoblastic tumors may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the uterus.

Treatment of stage II placental-site gestational trophoblastic tumors and epithelioid trophoblastic tumors may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor, which may be followed by combination chemotherapy.

Treatment of stage III and IV placental-site gestational trophoblastic tumors and epithelioid trophoblastic tumors may include following:

• Combination chemotherapy.
• Surgery to remove cancer that has spread to other places, such as the lung or abdomen.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with placental-site gestational trophoblastic tumor and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of recurrent or resistant gestational trophoblastic tumor may include the following:

• Chemotherapy with one or more anticancer drugs for tumors previously treated with surgery.
• Combination chemotherapy for tumors previously treated with chemotherapy.
• Surgery for tumors that do not respond to chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with recurrent gestational trophoblastic tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.