Treatment of high-risk gestational trophoblastic disease with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy

John Robert Lurain III*, John I. Brewer

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

62 Scopus citations

Abstract

Seventy-three patients with metastatic high-risk gestational trophoblastic disease were treated with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy at the Brewer Trophoblastic Disease Center between 1968 and 1982. Forty-six patients were treated primarily with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide because of the presence of one or more high-risk factors. Twenty-seven additional patients who had not responded to initial singleagent chemotherapy with methotrexate and/or actinomycin D were subsequently treated with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide. Adjuvant surgery and radiotherapy were used in selected patients. The overall cure rate was 51% (37 of 73): 63% (29 of 46) for primary treatment and 30% (eight of 27) for secondary treatment (P<.01). Several factors that influenced response to primary treatment with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy were determined: 1) clinicopathologic diagnosis of choriocarcinoma versus invasive mole (59 versus 100%), 2) metastases to sites other than the lung and/or vagina (44 versus 74%), 3) antecedent term gestation compared with hydatidiform mole or abortion (50 versus 75%), and 4) presence of three or more high-risk factors (27 versus 74%). There were no significant differences in cure rates during the course of the study period.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)830-836
Number of pages7
JournalObstetrics and Gynecology
Volume65
Issue number6
StatePublished - Jan 1 1985

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

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