Placental site trophoblastic tumor: A review of 108 cases and their implications for prognosis and treatment

Abstract

Objective: To identify important prognostic factors and optimized treatment strategies through the analysis of the clinical and pathological characteristics of placental site trophoblastic tumor.

Methods: 108 patients with PSTT registered in two GTD centers or in six tertiary hospitals in China were analyzed retrospectively between the years 1998 and 2013. The computerized database of clinical and pathological reports was reviewed on this patient group. The data were subsequently analyzed retrospectively using SPSS software.

Results: Among 3581 patients with GTNs treated in GTD centers or in the tertiary hospitals between 1998 and 2013, 108 cases were histologically confirmed PSTT (3%). Only seven deaths and eleven relapse cases were observed. All seven of the deaths were disease related, due to chemotherapy-resistant or relapsed. 23 patients who received fertility preservation treatment did not experience poor outcome or high risk of relapse. In 71 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I disease, the use of adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery (n=49) or not (n=22) made no significant difference in relapse rate (P=0.303) or survival (P=0.782). Univariate analysis revealed the interval between antecedent pregnancy and onset of PSTT, stage, prognosis score, and necrosis as significant predictors of poor survival but only stage remained significant on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: Patients with FIGO stage IV disease demonstrate the most critical risk indicator of PSTT in the current study. Preservation of fertility is considered in highly-selected patients with localized tumor; and surgery without chemotherapy is recommended as first line treatment for patients with stage I who are at low-risk.

Keywords: Fertility preservation; Placental site trophoblastic tumor; Prognosis; Treatment.