Treatment Options for Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Hydatidiform Moles

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 (beta-hCG) blood tests are done every week until the beta-hCG level returns to normal. Patients also have follow-up doctor visits monthly for up to 6 months. If the level of beta-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 beta-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.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

Low-risk Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

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 (beta-hCG) level is normal for at least 3 weeks after treatment ends.

If the level of beta-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.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

High-risk Metastatic Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

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).

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Placental-Site Gestational Trophoblastic Tumors and Epithelioid Trophoblastic Tumors

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.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Recurrent or Resistant Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

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.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.