You should be carefully monitored after a hydatidiform mole or at the end of a pregnancy. Early diagnosis of choriocarcinoma can improve the outcome. Treatment After you are diagnosed, a careful history and exam will be done to make sure the cancer has not spread to other organs. Chemotherapy is the main type of treatment.
How do doctors determine the stage of a choriocarcinoma?
The doctor will find out the stage of your choriocarcinoma. They’ll give it a score based on how big the tumor is and if it has spread to other body parts, among other things. If your tumor is low-risk, meaning it’s small and hasn’t spread, chemotherapy is the main treatment.
What is choriocarcinoma and what causes it?
It is a type of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). The cancer usually starts in your uterus but can spread to other parts of the body. What Causes It? Choriocarcinoma forms when cells that were part of the placenta in a normal pregnancy become cancerous.
What is the outlook for someone with choriocarcinoma?
The outlook for someone with choriocarcinoma who receives treatment is very positive. The most common treatment is chemotherapy. Some people with the cancer will also need radiation therapy, surgery, or both.
What are the symptoms of a choriocarcinoma that has spread?
If the choriocarcinoma is in your vagina, it could cause bleeding. If it has spread to your abdomen, you might also have pain or pressure there. If it has spread to other parts of your body like your lungs or brain, you may notice:
How do you monitor choriocarcinoma?
Your guide to which tests are used to diagnose and monitor persistent trophoblastic disease (PTD) and choriocarcinoma.Blood and urine tests. ... Ultrasound scan. ... Surgery to remove PTD or choriocarcinoma from the womb. ... Chest x-ray. ... CT scan. ... MRI scan.
How do you manage choriocarcinoma?
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.
Are choriocarcinoma responsive to treatment?
The most common treatment is chemotherapy. Some people with the cancer will also need radiation therapy, surgery, or both. The majority of people who have had gestational choriocarcinoma will still be able to conceive and have a normal, healthy pregnancy after treatment.
What should I monitor for hydatidiform mole?
If your doctor suspects a molar pregnancy, he or she will order blood tests, including one to measure the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) — a pregnancy hormone — in your blood. He or she will also recommend an ultrasound.
What chemotherapy is used for choriocarcinoma?
If you have high risk PTD or choriocarcinoma, you might have the drug methotrexate by drip into a vein (intravenous infusion). This is followed a week later by the drugs actinomycin and etoposide. Or you may have a combination of chemotherapy drugs called EMA-CO.
Can choriocarcinoma be seen on ultrasound?
An ultrasound scan can diagnose many women with persistent trophoblastic disease or choriocarcinoma.
How quickly does choriocarcinoma spread?
Choriocarcinoma can develop some months or even years after pregnancy and can be difficult to diagnose, because it is so unexpected. They can grow quickly and might cause symptoms within a short period of time. They can spread to other parts of the body but are very likely to be cured by chemotherapy treatment.
Is methotrexate used in choriocarcinoma?
Conclusion: Methotrexate is routinely used in a parenteral intramuscular fashion for the treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma.
How is trophoblastic disease treated?
Gestational Trophoblastic Disease treatment and recurrent diseaseChemotherapy (using drugs to eliminate the cancer)Radiation therapy (uses high energy x-rays to eliminate cancer cells and shrink tumors)Surgery (removing the cancer)
How do I follow up hydatidiform mole after treatment?
Once your hCG level is normal you give a further urine sample 4 weeks later. If your pathology has been reviewed at the hospital, your follow up is then complete. If the partial mole hasn't been confirmed by the pathologists, you have follow up as for a complete molar pregnancy.
What are the nursing management of molar pregnancy?
The initial management of the patient with a molar pregnancy is evacuation of the uterine cavity by dilatation and curettage (D&C). If there is molar tissue detected in the uterine cavity after the initial evacuation a second D&C may be indicated.
What is the treatment of choice for uncomplicated H mole state how it is done?
Patients with hydatidiform moles are usually treated by evacuation of the pregnancy using dilatation and evacuation of the uterus (D&E) and are followed with serial quantitative serum hCG values until hCG levels normalize.
How quickly does choriocarcinoma spread?
Choriocarcinoma can develop some months or even years after pregnancy and can be difficult to diagnose, because it is so unexpected. They can grow quickly and might cause symptoms within a short period of time. They can spread to other parts of the body but are very likely to be cured by chemotherapy treatment.
Is Stage 4 choriocarcinoma curable?
Fortunately, most women who are found to have choriocarcinoma can be cured; treatment with a combination of chemotherapy agents such as etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and vincristine (EMA-CO) is found to be very effective at achieving remission.
Can choriocarcinoma happen without pregnancy?
Choriocarcinoma is a rare cancer that occurs as an abnormal pregnancy. A baby may or may not develop in this type of pregnancy. The cancer may also occur after a normal pregnancy. But it most often occurs with a complete hydatidiform mole.
What is metastatic choriocarcinoma?
Choriocarcinoma is a malignant proliferation of trophoblasts that complicates a normal or abnormal pregnancy. Intraparenchymal brain metastases from choriocarcinoma occur in 10-20 % of the cases and are often haemorrhagic.
What happens to the placenta after a miscarriage?
It can happen after a miscarriage, abortion, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy -- when an egg is fertilized, but the placenta develops into a mass of cysts instead of a fetus.
What is the rarest cancer that can be found in pregnant women?
This rare type of tumor that most often affects pregnant women is called a gestational choriocarcinoma. It is a type of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). The cancer usually starts in your uterus but can spread to other parts of the body.
What is the treatment for a tumor that hasn't spread?
If your tumor is low-risk, meaning it’s small and hasn’t spread, chemotherapy is the main treatment. You’ll get it until there are no signs of cancer in your body based on hCG levels. If your cancer is high-risk, you may need surgery and chemo, or surgery, chemo, and radiation.
How long does it take for a period to go back to normal after chemo?
They may go back to normal, and then stop again if you have chemo. They should restart again and go back to normal 3 to 6 months after chemo stops.
What tests can you do if you have choriocarcinoma?
If your doctor thinks you have choriocarcinoma, they’ll do some tests: A pelvic exam to feel for lumps or unusual changes. A test to look for levels of a hormone called hCG. They’ll be high if you have a GTD. Blood and urine tests. An exam to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
How to diagnose choriocarcinoma?
If your doctor thinks you have choriocarcinoma, they’ll do some tests: 1 A pelvic exam to feel for lumps or unusual changes 2 A test to look for levels of a hormone called hCG. They’ll be high if you have a GTD. 3 Blood and urine tests 4 An exam to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body 5 Imaging tests such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, or X-ray
Can choriocarcinoma cause bleeding?
If the choriocarcinoma is in your vagina, it could cause bleeding. If it has spread to your abdomen, you might also have pain or pressure there. If it has spread to other parts of your body like your lungs or brain, you may notice: Cough. Trouble breathing.
How many cases of choriocarcinoma are there in the UK?
In this section we refer to choriocarcinoma as a malignancy developing within the placenta during an otherwise normal pregnancy. This is a rare illness with 10-20 cases each year in the UK from nearly one million pregnancies. The illness can become apparent occasionally during the last few weeks of pregnancy, but more commonly in ...
How long does it take to cure choriocarcinoma?
In certain patients with particular medical issues the treatment may be altered slightly. Treatment for choriocarcinoma usually takes 4-5 months to complete and the cure rate is over 95%.
Is choriocarcinoma a sensitive disease?
Fortunately choriocarcinoma is a highly sensitive to chemotherapy, with a very high expectation of cure once diagnosed. EMA-Co chemotherapy is intense, with treatment given weekly. Treatment alternates weekly between the EMA treatment that requires an overnight stay in hospital and the following week the CO treatment that is given as an outpatient ...
Can choriocarcinoma be diagnosed in pregnant women?
The illness can sometimes take a while to diagnose. However the elevated hCG level in a woman who is not pregnant is highly supportive of the diagnosis. The treatment for choriocarcinoma takes place initially as an in-patient at Charing Cross ...
How does gestational choriocarcinoma work?
gestational choriocarcinoma with chemotherapy. It works by either killing the cancerous cells or stopping the tumor from growing. Some people might need more than one type of chemotherapy. If the tumor has spread, the person might also need radiation therapy and surgery. In many cases, surgeons will be able to remove.
What is the rarest testicular cancer?
kidney. bowel. Sometimes, males can develop choriocarcinoma in the testicle, which doctors call nongestational choriocarcinoma. It is an extremely rare type of testicular cancer. Every year, there are about 0.8 cases of the tumor per 100,000 males.
What is the rarest cancer that can be found in the uterus?
Choriocarcinoma is a rare type of cancer that develops from trophoblastic cells that stay in the uterus after pregnancy. It can grow very fast and spread around the body. However, doctors can usually treat it.
How often does choriocarcinoma occur?
Choriocarcinoma happens in about 1 in every 40,000 pregnancies. In rare cases, it can develop in males as a rare type of testicular cancer. The outlook for someone with choriocarcinoma who receives treatment is very positive. The most common treatment is chemotherapy.
What are the cells that help the placenta?
GTDs develop from the cells that would usually become the placenta during pregnancy. These cells, called trophoblastic cells, help the embryo attach itself to the uterus and form the placenta. In the United States, about 1 in 40,000. Trusted Source. pregnant people will go on to develop choriocarcinoma.
What hormone is found in the blood but not pregnant?
The lab will test these for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Trophoblastic cells make hCG, so it is usually only present in pregnant people. In fact, it is the same hormone that pregnancy tests detect. If a person has hCG in their blood and urine but is not pregnant, this may be a sign of choriocarcinoma.
What does it mean when you have hCG but you are not pregnant?
If a person has hCG in their blood and urine but is not pregnant, this may be a sign of choriocarcinoma. The doctor may also carry out imaging tests, such as ultrasounds, X-rays, or MRI scans. These tests allow them to check inside the body for a tumor and see whether it has spread.
Chemotherapy
The most common treatment for choriocarcinoma is chemotherapy. This type of medicine is given by pill or intravenously (IV). It can kill cancer cells and stop them from spreading to other parts of your body. Sometimes chemotherapy and surgery are combined. 3
Surgery
In some cases, choriocarcinoma treatment requires surgical procedures. Surgery may be necessary if your cancer has:
Radiation Therapy
Usually, radiation therapy (high-energy beams that are directed at the tumor to kill cancer cells) is only necessary if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain or lungs. Your medical team will work with you to decide if you need radiation treatment. 3
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
There are no specific home remedies or lifestyle changes that can treat or cure choriocarcinoma. Since choriocarcinoma is a fast-growing cancer, it is important to focus on the medically approved treatments that can help.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Therapies
Although there are no over-the-counter therapies for treating choriocarcinoma, you may need to take some OTC medications to deal with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any OTC drugs when you are being treated for cancer.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
There are no approved nontraditional or alternative therapies for choriocarcinoma. There are also no approved alternative adjunctive treatments or adjunct therapy, which is the addition of another treatment used together with a primary treatment.
Summary
Your treatment options for choriocarcinoma may include chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy. There are no approved home remedies, OTC therapies, or alternative medicine treatments for this cancer.