Does hormonal contraception during molar pregnancy follow-up influence the risk and clinical aggressiveness of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia after controlling for risk factors?

Diagnosis and Management of Molar Pregnancies

Complete and partial molar pregnancies arise from abnormal fertilization with marked proliferation of syncytiotrophoblasts. Earlier diagnosis has reduced the frequency of severe medical complications at presentation; however, the risk of progression to gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) has remained unchanged. Initial assessment should include serum hCG measurement after physical examination, laboratory testing for organ dysfunction, and Doppler ultrasound. Following uterine evacuation, pathologic assessment can distinguish complete from partial moles or non-molar gestations. Close surveillance is essential for the timely diagnosis of GTN. Cure rates and subsequent obstetrics outcomes are excellent, but all patients should be referred for psychologic support and expert level care.

Contraceptive use following gestational trophoblastic disease: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the effect of contraceptive methods following gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) on timing of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) remission, risk of post-molar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), risk of unintended incident pregnancy, and interactions between contraceptive methods and disease treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a search of primary literature with search terms related to GTD and contraception through April 2023 in PubMed and extrapolated our search to other platforms. Randomized controlled trials, observational studies and case reports were eligible for inclusion if they reported on patients with known GTD who received a contraceptive method for pregnancy prevention. Data was abstracted on our main outcomes of interest: timing of beta-hCG remission, risk of post-molar GTN, risk of unintended incident pregnancy, and interactions between contraceptive methods and cancer-directed systemic disease treatment (e.g., chemotherapy). At least two authors reviewed manuscripts at each screening stage with consensus reached before data extraction. Quality assessment checklists were used to assess risk of bias for the different study types.

RESULTS

Five thousand one hundred and five studies were identified in the database search, of which 42 were included for analysis. Eight thousand two hundred and ninety four participants were evaluated. Over half of the studies were case reports and only two were randomized controlled trials. While there was sparse data on all outcomes, no differences were noted in beta-hCG monitoring, risk of post-molar GTN or incident pregnancies between different contraceptive types. Interactions between contraceptive methods and cancer-directed systemic disease treatment (e.g., chemotherapy) or specific adverse events of contraceptive methods were not identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Data on contraceptive use following GTD is limited, but use of both hormonal and non-hormonal modern contraceptive methods appears safe. Counseling patients on the full range of contraceptive methods is important to help patients achieve their reproductive health goals and minimize the risk of disease progression through incomplete beta-hCG monitoring prior to future pregnancy.

IMPLICATIONS

Hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptive options may be used by patients following gestational trophoblastic disease without apparent changes in beta-hCG regression or risk of post-molar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Contraceptive strategies for reducing the risk of reproductive cancers

Reproductive cancers, encompassing various malignancies like endometrial, ovarian, cervical cancer, and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, pose a significant global health burden. Understanding their patterns is vital for effective prevention and management. Contraceptives show a protective effect against some of these cancers. This clinical guidance document aims to elucidate the disease burden of reproductive cancers and the evidence supporting contraceptive methods in prevention and management. Regional disparities in incidence and mortality highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions, particularly in low-resource settings. Healthcare providers must weigh individual risk profiles and medical eligibility criteria when discussing contraceptive options. Enhanced health literacy through direct patient education is essential for leveraging low-cost behavioral interventions to mitigate reproductive cancer risks.

Contraception after abortion, miscarriage, ectopic and molar pregnancy

Regardless of whether a pregnancy ends in abortion, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, fertility and sexual activity can resume quickly. For those who do not plan to become pregnant again immediately, effective contraception is therefore required. Although a contraceptive discussion and the offer to provide contraception is considered an integral part of abortion care, health care providers may not always offer this same standard of care to those whose pregnancy ends in miscarriage or ectopic due to sensitivities or assumptions around this and future fertility intentions. Yet, evidence-based recommendations support the safety of initiating contraception at these times. Provision of a chosen method of contraception may be convenient for women and valued by them. As part of holistic care, healthcare professionals who care for women around these reproductive events should therefore offer quality information on contraception and help them access their chosen method to better meet their ongoing reproductive health needs.

Current chemotherapeutic options for the treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease

INTRODUCTION

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a rare tumor that arises from trophoblastic tissues with high remission rates after chemotherapy treatment. GTN can develop from any gestational events, such as miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm/term pregnancy, but is more frequent after hydatidiform mole. The sensitivity of this tumor to chemotherapy and the presence of an exceptional tumor marker allow high remission rates, especially when patients are treated in referral centers.

AREAS COVERED

Observational, retrospective, prospective, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis studies focusing on GTN treatment. We searched PubMed, Medline, and the Library of Congress from January 1965 to May 2022.

EXPERT OPINION

Early GTN diagnosis allows low-toxic and highly effective treatment. Even multimetastatic disease has high rates of remission with multiagent regimen chemotherapy. Surgery is reserved for uterine disease in patients who have completed childbearing, in cases of chemoresistance to multiagent regimens or in the rare cases of placental site trophoblastic tumor or epithelioid trophoblastic tumor. While resistance is managed by salvage chemotherapy, cases with limited clinical response to sequential regimens have been successfully treated with immunotherapy.

Clinical Presentation, Treatment Outcomes, and Resistance-related Factors in South American Women with Low-risk Postmolar Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

OBJECTIVE

 There are few multinational studies on gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) treatment outcomes in South America. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical presentation, treatment outcomes, and factors associated with chemoresistance in low-risk postmolar GTN treated with first-line single-agent chemotherapy in three South American centers.

METHODS

 Multicentric, historical cohort study including women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)-staged low-risk postmolar GTN attending centers in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia between 1990 and 2014. Data were obtained on patient characteristics, disease presentation, and treatment response. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between clinical factors and resistance to first-line single-agent treatment. A multivariate analysis of the clinical factors significant in univariate analysis was performed.

RESULTS

 A total of 163 women with low-risk GTN were included in the analysis. The overall rate of complete response to first-line chemotherapy was 80% (130/163). The rates of complete response to methotrexate or actinomycin-D as first-line treatment, and actinomycin-D as second-line treatment postmethotrexate failure were 79% (125/157), 83% (⅚), and 70% (23/33), respectively. Switching to second-line treatment due to chemoresistance occurred in 20.2% of cases (33/163). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients with a 5 to 6 FIGO risk score were 4.2-fold more likely to develop resistance to first-line single-agent treatment (p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

 1) At presentation, most women showed clinical characteristics favorable to a good outcome, 2) the overall rate of sustained complete remission after first-line single-agent treatment was comparable to that observed in developed countries, 3) a FIGO risk score of 5 or 6 is associated with development of resistance to first-line single-agent chemotherapy.

Perinatal outcomes of first pregnancy after chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: a systematic review of observational studies and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess perinatal outcomes of first pregnancy after remission from gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and the impact of the time between the end of chemotherapy and the subsequent pregnancy.

DATA SOURCES

The Medical Subject Headings related to perinatal outcomes, chemotherapy, and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia were used alone or in combination to retrieve relevant articles. We searched all references registered until April, 2019 in Embase, LILACS, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included any observational or interventional studies that evaluated perinatal outcomes of first pregnancy after chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Animal studies, narrative reviews, expert opinions, and previous treatments with potential risks for future perinatal outcomes which may introduce confounding bias were excluded.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

Two reviewers independently screened all identified references for eligibility and data extraction. Methodological quality and bias of included studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies from the National Institutes of Health. For the meta-analysis, the measures of association were calculated using bivariate random-effects models. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with I² statistics and explored through sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was assessed by visual inspection of the funnel plot or Egger's test, according to the number of articles included. For all analyses, a P value of <.05 indicated statistical significance. This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018116513).

RESULTS

A total of 763 studies were identified after literature search and 23 original studies were included in the systematic review and in the meta-analysis. The combined data from the subgroup meta-analysis (outcome vs time after chemotherapy) showed an incidence of spontaneous abortion of 15.28% (95% confidence interval, 12.37-18.74; I²=73%), 3.30% of malformation (95% confidence interval, 2.27-4.79; I²=31%), 6.19% of prematurity (95% confidence interval, 5.03-7.59; I²=0), and 1.73% of stillbirth (95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.55; I²=0%). These results were not influenced by the time between the end of chemotherapy and the subsequent pregnancy in most of the studied outcomes, including malformation (P=.14, I²=31%), prematurity (P=.46, I²=0), and stillbirth (P=.66, I²=0). However, there was a higher occurrence of spontaneous abortion (P<.01, I²=73%) in pregnancies that occurred ≤6 months after chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia does not appear to increase the chance of unfavorable perinatal outcomes, except for the higher occurrence of spontaneous abortion in pregnancies occurring ≤6 months after chemotherapy.

Advances in the diagnosis and early management of gestational trophoblastic disease

Gestational trophoblastic disease describes a group of rare pregnancy related disorders that span a spectrum of premalignant and malignant conditions. Hydatidiform mole (also termed molar pregnancy) is the most common form of this disease. Hydatidiform mole describes an abnormal conceptus containing two copies of the paternal genome, which is classified as partial when the maternal genome is present or complete when the maternal genome is absent. Hydatidiform mole typically presents in the first trimester with irregular vaginal bleeding and can be suspected on ultrasound but confirmation requires histopathological evaluation of the products of conception. Most molar pregnancies resolve without treatment after uterine evacuation, but occasionally the disease persists and develops into gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Close monitoring of women after molar pregnancy, with regular measurement of human chorionic gonadotrophin concentrations, allows for early detection of malignancy. Given the rarity of the disease, clinical management and treatment is best provided in specialist centres where very high cure rates are achievable. This review looks at advances in the diagnosis and early management of gestational trophoblastic disease and highlights updates to disease classification and clinical guidelines. Use of molecular genotyping for improved diagnostic accuracy and risk stratification is reviewed and future biomarkers for the earlier detection of malignancy are considered.

Folinic acid rescue during methotrexate treatment for low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia - How much is just right?

OBJECTIVE

To compare the outcomes of patients with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) treated with 8-day methotrexate (MTX) with two different regimens of folinic acid (FA).

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of low-risk GTN followed at Rio de Janeiro Federal University, from January/2000-December/2019 with 8-day MTX with FA at 0.1 mg/kg versus 15 mg fixed dose.

RESULTS

Among 667 patients with low-risk GTN, 323 were treated with FA at 0.1 mg/kg and 142 with FA at 15 mg fixed dose. The weight-based and fixed dose groups were comparable in terms of clinical profile but did differ in the hCG pretreatment level (8883 versus 5127 IU/L, p < 0.01) and FIGO risk score 5/6 (3.4% versus 18.3%, p < 0.01), respectively. Despite this, there was no difference in the remission rate in first-line treatment (76.8 versus 81%, p = 0.33), although FA at 0.1 mg/kg had a significantly higher number of chemotherapy cycles to remission (5 versus 4, p < 0.01), need to delay chemotherapy due to toxicity (6.8 versus 2.8%, p < 0.01) and time to remission, (12 versus 8 weeks, p < 0.01), respectively. A logistic regression analysis showed that the different FA rescue regimens appeared comparable in terms of achieving remission in first-line chemotherapy for low-risk GTN (OR:5.16, CI95%:0.84-31.64, p = 0.08).

CONCLUSION

FA with 15 mg fixed dose as compared to 0.1 mg/kg of FA was associated with similar primary remission rate, relapse or death among low-risk GTN treated with 8-day MTX. This regimen is highly practical, reduces visits to health facilities, appears equally safe and may be preferable with the 8-day MTX regimen in the treatment of low-risk GTN.

Treatment of high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and chemoresistance/relapsed disease

High-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) has an increased risk of developing chemoresistance to single-agent chemotherapy; therefore, the primary treatment should be a multiagent etoposide-based regimen, preferably EMA/CO. After remission (normalization of human chorionic gonadotropin - hCG), at least three consolidation courses of EMA-CO are needed to reduce the risk of relapse. Chemoresistance is diagnosed during treatment if hCG levels plateau/increase, in two consecutive values over a two-week period. When this occurs after remission, in the absence of a new pregnancy, there is a relapse. In both cases, after re-assessment of the extent of disease, EMA-EP is the most common chemotherapy choice. Even in these cases, remission rates are high. After remission is achieved, hCG should be measured monthly for a year. Pregnancy can be allowed after 12 months from remission. The follow-up of these patients in referral centers minimizes the chance of death from this disease and should be encouraged.

Impact of clinical characteristics on human chorionic gonadotropin regression after molar pregnancy

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the effects of age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and contraception on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) regression following the evacuation of a molar pregnancy.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of 277 patients with molar pregnancies between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 2015. The rate of hCG regression was estimated using mixed-effects linear regression models on daily log-transformed serum hCG levels after evacuation.

RESULTS

There were no differences in hCG half-lives among age (p=0.13) or race/ethnicity (p=0.16) groups. Women with obesity and hormonal contraceptive use demonstrated faster hCG regression than their counterparts (3.2 versus. 3.7 days, p=0.02 and 3.4 versus. 4.0 days, p=0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Age and race/ethnicity were not associated with hCG regression rates. Hormonal contraceptive use and obesity were associated with shorter hCG half-lives, but with unlikely clinical significance. It is important to understand whether the clinical characteristics of patients may influence the hCG regression curve, as it has been proposed as a way to predict the risk of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Early Detection of Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia Based on Serial Measurement of Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin Hormone in Women with Molar Pregnancy

Background:

The majority of studies which investigate the predicted power of Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels to the occurrence of Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) considered the effect of a single measurement of hCG or used classical statistical methods without considering the endogenous marker. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between weekly measurements of β-hCG with time to GTN occurring, using a robust Bayesian joint modeling.

Methods:

Data of 201 women with a molar pregnancy were considered for this retrospective cohort study. After the first measurement of β-hCG in 48 hours post evacuation of mole, the other titration was performed on a weekly basis until three consecutive normal titers. The association between serial measurements of β-hCG and risk of GTN occurring were assessed by the classic and Bayesian joint modeling and in separate analysis the mixed linear effect and Cox-PH model were used.

Results:

The mean age (SD) of participants was 26.6 (6.55) year. The GTN was occurred among 14.9% of patients. The association parameter using Bayesian approach was estimated as 1.30 (95% CI: 0.44 to 2.20) which showed one unit increase in the log β-hCG corresponds to the 2.80-times increase in the hazard for the occurrence of GTN (Hazard Ratio: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.55 to 8.98).

Conclusions:

Findings of this study revealed that weekly measurements of β-hCG are an important and reliable biomarker to early detection of developing of molar pregnancy to persistent GTN.

Comparison of treatment for low-risk GTN with standard 8-day MTX/FA regimen versus modified MTX/FA regimen without chemotherapy on the weekend

OBJECTIVE

To compare the outcomes of patients with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) treated with standard 8-day methotrexate/folinic acid (MTX/FA) versus modified regimen.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of patients with low-risk GTN followed at Rio de Janeiro Federal University, from January/1990-December/2017 with standard 8-day MTX/FA or modified regimen (MTX administered on the 8th day rather than 7th) to avoid treatment on the weekend.

RESULTS

From 937 patients with low-risk GTN, 538 were treated with standard MTX/FA and 98 patients received modified regimen. Both groups were comparable in age (p = .749), antecedent pregnancy (p = .221), time to initiate chemotherapy (p = .926), hCG pretreatment level (p = .112) and WHO/FIGO prognostic risk score (p = .723). Patients treated with modified MTX/FA had twice of cases of metastatic lung disease compared with the standard regimen (22.5% vs 10.6%; p = .002). The rate of remission (p = .999), number of cycles to remission in the first-line (p = .966), chemoresistance (p = .500), time to switch to second-line therapy (p = .176), need for multiagent chemotherapy (p = .084), relapse (p = .122) or death (p = .475) was the same for both MTX/FA regimen. However, although patients receiving modified MTX/FA required a higher total number of remission cycles (6 vs 5 cycles; p = .004) and longer time to remission (19 vs 16 weeks; p < .001) when compared with the standard regimen, these variables showed no significant differences after multivariate logistic regression adjusted for lung metastasis.

CONCLUSION

The modified 8-day MTX/FA regimen didn't compromise oncologic outcomes for women with low-risk GTN. This regimen appears to be an acceptable alternative to standard 8-day MTX/FA when treatment on weekend isn't an option.

Contraception after pregnancy

Whatever the outcome, pregnancy provides the opportunity to offer effective contraception to couples motivated to avoid another pregnancy. This narrative review summarizes the evidence for health providers, drawing attention to current guidelines on which contraceptive methods can be used, and when they should be started after pregnancy, whatever its outcome. Fertility returns within 1 month of the end of pregnancy unless breastfeeding occurs. Breastfeeding, which itself suppresses fertility after childbirth, influences both when contraception should start and what methods can be used. Without breastfeeding, effective contraception should be started as soon as possible if another pregnancy is to be avoided. Interpregnancy intervals of at least 6 months after miscarriage and 1-2 years after childbirth have long been recommended by the World Health Organization in order to reduce the chance of adverse pregnancy outcome. Recent research suggests that this may not be necessary, at least for healthy women <35 years old. Most contraceptive methods can be used after pregnancy regardless of the outcome. Because of an increased risk of venous thromboembolism associated with estrogen-containing contraceptives, initiation of these methods should be delayed until 6 weeks after childbirth. More research is required to settle the questions over the use of combined hormonal contraception during breastfeeding, the use of injectable progestin-only contraceptives before 6 weeks after childbirth, and the use of both hormonal and intrauterine contraception after gestational trophoblastic disease. The potential impact on the risk of ectopic pregnancy of certain contraceptive methods often confuses healthcare providers. The challenges involved in providing effective, seamless service provision of contraception after pregnancy are numerous, even in industrialized countries. Nevertheless, the clear benefits demonstrate that it is worth the effort.

Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia worldwide

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a rare tumor that originates from pregnancy that includes invasive mole, choriocarcinoma (CCA), placental site trophoblastic tumor and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (PSTT/ETT). GTN presents different degrees of proliferation, invasion and dissemination, but, if treated in reference centers, has high cure rates, even in multi-metastatic cases. The diagnosis of GTN following a hydatidiform molar pregnancy is made according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2000 criteria: four or more plateaued human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) concentrations over three weeks; rise in hCG for three consecutive weekly measurements over at least a period of 2 weeks or more; and an elevated but falling hCG concentrations six or more months after molar evacuation. However, the latter reason for treatment is no longer used by many centers. In addition, GTN is diagnosed with a pathological diagnosis of CCA or PSTT/ETT. For staging after a molar pregnancy, FIGO recommends pelvic-transvaginal Doppler ultrasound and chest X-ray. In cases of pulmonary metastases with more than 1 cm, the screening should be complemented with chest computed tomography and brain magnetic resonance image. Single agent chemotherapy, usually Methotrexate (MTX) or Actinomycin-D (Act-D), can cure about 70% of patients with FIGO/World Health Organization (WHO) prognosis risk score ≤ 6 (low risk), reserving multiple agent chemotherapy, such as EMA/CO (Etoposide, MTX, Act-D, Cyclophosphamide and Oncovin) for cases with FIGO/WHO prognosis risk score ≥ 7 (high risk) that is often metastatic. Best overall cure rates for low and high risk disease is close to 100% and > 95%, respectively. The management of PSTT/ETT differs and cure rates tend to be a bit lower. The early diagnosis of this disease and the appropriate treatment avoid maternal death, allow the healing and maintenance of the reproductive potential of these women.

Experience With the Use of an Online Community on Facebook for Brazilian Patients With Gestational Trophoblastic Disease: Netnography Study

BACKGROUND

The term gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) includes both complete and partial moles, which are uncommon nonviable pregnancies with the potential to evolve into a malignancy known as gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. While highly curable, the potential for malignancy associated with molar pregnancies worries the patients, leading them to seek information on the internet. A Facebook page headed by Brazilian specialized physicians in GTD was created in 2013 to provide online support for GTD patients.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to describe the netnography of Brazilian patients with GTD on Facebook (FBGTD) and to evaluate whether their experiences differed depending on whether they received care in a Brazilian gestational trophoblastic disease reference center (BRC) or elsewhere.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study using G Suite Google Platform. The members of FBGTD were invited to participate in a survey from March 6 to October 5, 2017, and a netnographic analysis of interactions among the members was performed.

RESULTS

The survey was answered by 356 Brazilian GTD patients: 176 reference center patients (RCP) treated at a BRC and 180 nonreference center patients (NRCP) treated elsewhere. On comparing the groups, we found that RCP felt safer and more confident at the time of diagnosis of GTD (P=.001). RCP were more likely to utilize FBGTD subsequent to a referral by health assistants (P<.001), whereas NRCP more commonly discovered FBGTD through Web searches (P<.001). NRCP had higher educational levels (P=.009) and were more commonly on FBGTD for ≥ 6 months (P=.03). NRCP were more likely to report that doctors did not adequately explain GTD at diagnosis (P=.007), had more doubts about GTD treatment (P=.01), and were less likely to use hormonal contraception (P<.001). Overall, 89% (317/356) patients accessed the internet preferentially from home and using mobile phones, and 98% (349/354) patients declared that they felt safe reading the recommendations posted by FBGTD physicians.

CONCLUSIONS

This netnographic analysis of GTD patients on FBGTD shows that an Web-based doctor-patient relationship can supplement the care for women with GTD. This resource is particularly valuable for women being cared for outside of established reference centers.