Prevalence of gestational trophoblastic disease in Taiwan

Abstract

Summary Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) has a high historical prevalence in Taiwan. This study assessed GTD incidence in Taiwan using data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Center (TCRC) for registered cases of choriocarcinoma from 1979 to 1995. Data on the total number of live births were obtained from the Ministry of the Interior for analysis of general population incidence. Data from the Registry of National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) were obtained on all registered cases of GTD for the same period. Extended records of all GTD cases in NTUH during the period from 1951 to 1997 were also investigated. Data in the period from 1951 to 1997 was subtracted in the interval of decades for longitudinal time-scale analysis. There were a total of 5,978,867 live births in Taiwan from 1979 to 1995. A total of 122 cases of choriocarcinoma were registered in the TCRC during this period. The total live births at NTUH were 44,124, with 43 cases of choriocarcinoma. The total population incidence and hospital incidence were 1:49,007 and 1:1,026, respectively. Categorical analysis showed that remission rate of the high-risk group GTD significantly improved after incorporating the GTD scoring system with clinical management (P=0.025). The results of this study support the trend of decreasing incidence of GTD in Taiwan. Improved socio-economic status may account for this trend. In addition, multiple confounding factors were responsible for the improved prognosis including GTD scoring system, biomedical profiles and improved chemo-therapeutic regimens.