Trophoblastic Disease

Trophoblastic Disease General Information

Trophoblastic Disease is considered a rare tumor that is characterized by abnormal growth of cells inside the female’s patient uterus. This kind of tumor does not evolve from cells inside the uterus, like the endometrial or cervical cancer do, but it starts inside the cells that normally grow into the placenta during a pregnancy. This kind of disease usually starts in a layer of cells also known as trophoblast that normally is placed in the surrounding area of an embryo. In most cases, the disease is benign, or non cancerous, and does not invade the deep layers of the body tissues or spread to other organs of the patient’s body. There are also cases in which the patient can experience a cancerous form of the disease, and due to the fact that not all of these tumors are cancerous, the cancerous form of Trophoblastic Disease is categorized as gestational neoplasia form.

All forms of the disease have an available treatment options, and in most cases, the treatment provides a complete cure. There are many types of Trophoblastic Diseases that include hydatidiform mole, which can be complete or partial, invasive mole, choriocarcinoma and placental site trophoblastic tumor. In most cases, the disease does not spread to the other organs of the patient’s body, but in more severe and advanced stages, it tends to affect the muscle layer of the patient’s uterus. All forms of the condition respond positive to the chemotherapy medicines, but the placental site trophpblastic form of the tumor can only by cured using surgery.

Trophoblastic Disease Symptoms

Generally, Trophoblastic Disease is an uncommon condition that is usually curable but, when associated with pregnancy, can affect the unborn baby. There are also cases in which the disease develops after the baby is born. In more than a half of the cases, a patient who presented this type of disease also presented a hydatidiform mole. The most common symptom caused by this kind of medical condition is vaginal bleeding especially in patients who present abortion, pregnancy or the hydatidiform mole type of the condition. There are also other signs and symptoms that the patient can experience and can include irregular vaginal bleeding, uneven swelling of the patient’s uterus, and certain forms of cysts on the patient’s ovaries, pain and persistently high levels of pregnancy hormones.

In most cases, a pelvic examination can show a continued uterine enlargement or, if the patient is suffering from Trophoblastic Disease, a tumor. Usually, these signs can be felt in the genital-urinary tract. There are certain tests and examinations that can be done to diagnose the disease and can include quantitative serum HCG, a test that is normally performed to confirm a pregnancy, CT scan and X-ray to the chest area. These signs can appear in patients who recently had an abortion, a pregnancy, or suffered from hydatidiform mole. It is very important to treat the condition in the first stages of development; if it is not treated properly or not treated at all, Trophoblastic Disease can progress causing severe complications that can lead to the death of the patient.

Trophoblastic Disease Treatment

In many cases, a fast diagnosis followed by prompt medical care can improve significantly the patient’s quality of life and can accelerate the process of treating the medical condition. Every patient who suffers from Trophoblastic Disease must be informed about the most efficient methods of treating this condition. In this last chapter of our presentation we will describe you some of the most commonly used treatment options that cure this medical disorder. Our list may not be complete because some health care providers choose to apply less popular methods that may offer the same results. For more information we advise you to contact your personal doctor or other specialist in this domain.

Trophoblastic Disease can cause serious complications if is not treated in time. We strongly recommend you to contact your health care provider as soon as you start experiencing any of the signs and symptoms specific for this disorder. During the medical exam, you will be asked about your symptoms and you will need to do some exams. After a medical control of your pelvic area, the doctor may notice a tumor or continued uterine enlargement, conditions felt within the uro-genital tract. Further testing is absolutely necessary to help the doctor rule out other similar medical conditions or metastasis (spread of the disease to other organs). The most common tests include: X-ray of the chest area, blood tests to confirm pregnancy (quantitative serum HCG) and computerized (CT) scan. If the results of these tests are positive the health care provider can set the diagnosis and proceed immediately with the right treatment option for Trophoblastic Disease.

Invasive mole, hydatidiform mole or placental site trophoblastic tumor are eliminated by suction curettage. In severe cases and if childbearing was not planned and patients are more than 45 years old, hysterectomy may be required. After the removal of tumors, some tests must be done to determine the type of the Trophoblastic Disease: metastatic or nonmetastatic. In the case of metastatic type, the first treatment of choice is based on chemotherapy. The most commonly used drugs for this type of therapy are Dactinomycin (prescribed as Cosmegen) and Methtrexate. Oral contraceptives are given for six months to at least one year. Alternative options are considered any effective contraceptive methods. If Trophoblastic Disease is nonmetastatic, doctors will prescribe a single chemotherapeutic medicine, Methotrexate, prescribed as Rheumatrex. If this therapy does not give the expected results, multidrug chemo or hysterectomy is indicated.

Cure rates are usually high: more than 90% for the less serious cases and more than 60% for the severe cases. The indications of the doctors must be followed strictly. Avoid losing a dose or overdosing; otherwise, severe complications appear and the process of curing is delayed. If you develop allergies to any of the medicines mentioned above, contact immediately your health care provider and ask him to change your prescription. Any allergy must be treated immediately and then proceed with the new treatment. The patients suffering from this medical disorder need to be closely monitored.