Pregnancy outcomes of patients who conceived within 1 year after chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic tumor: a clinical report of 22 patients

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the risk of pregnancy of patients who conceived within 1 year after successful chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic tumor (GTT).

Methods: From 1966 to 1996, 22 patients who conceived within 1 year after chemotherapy were followed up and analyzed retrospectively.

Results: Among 22 patients, 9 had term deliveries and 1 had a premature birth, 6 had induced abortion at the patient's request, and 6 had therapeutic abortion because of various indications such as repeated hydatidiform mole (1 case), intrauterine death (1 case), inevitable abortion (1 case), and threatened abortion (3 cases). The fetal loss rate was 27.1% (6/22). The incidence rate of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) was 9.1% (2/22). The incidence rate of GTT was 4.5% (1/22). The average interval between completion of chemotherapy and pregnancy was 10.25 months in the group of term pregnancies and 5.86 months in that of fetal loss (P < 0.05), indicating that the longer the interval, the lesser the risk of GTD.

Conclusion: The results suggest that contraception for 1 year is necessary in patients with GTT after successful chemotherapy. However, in the case of a patient who conceives within 1 year, it is not necessary to terminate pregnancy, but the pregnancy must be carefully watched.