Current approaches to diagnosis and treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease

Abstract

Diagnosis of molar pregnancy relies on serum and urine human chorionic gonadotropin estimations in addition to characteristic appearances on histology. Approximately 92% of hydatidiform moles resolve spontaneously after evacuation, and with careful human chorionic gonadotropin follow-up, the remainder can be successfully treated with a minimum of toxicity. Non-post-mole gestational choriocarcinoma is also highly curable with modern chemotherapy, and in the rare cases when drug resistance develops, surgery can be an effective salvage treatment. In cases when doubt exists as to whether a patient has a true gestational tumor or a human chorionic gonadotropin-producing carcinoma, the origin of the tumor can sometimes be determined by DNA analysis. This determination can help to avoid inappropriate chemotherapy for patients with nongestational tumors.