Methotrexate infusion in low-risk gestational trophoblastic disease

The current study attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of methotrexate infusion therapy in the management of low-risk gestational trophoblastic disease and to find out whether an increase in the dose intensity can effect a faster remission and a shorter treatment duration.

This is a prospective study. Between June 1990 and August 1998, 59 patients with low-risk trophoblastic disease were treated with methotrexate at a dose of 100 mg/m(2) as an intravenous bolus over 30 minutes followed by a 12-hour infusion of methotrexate at a dose of 200 mg/m(2). Folinic acid was not given unless the serum methotrexate reached a toxic level 24 hours after infusion (toxic level, 10 micromol/L). Actinomycin D was added in patients with a partial response. The follow-up period of these patients ranged from 12 to 113 months, with a median of 58.5 months and a mean of 55.7 months.

Fifty-four patients attained a complete biochemical remission. Twenty-eight patients went into biochemical remission after one methotrexate infusion. Five patients showed a partial biochemical response. A relapse developed in 2 of the 54 complete responders at 3 months and 18 months after the initial therapy. Both patients received combination therapy consisting of methotrexate, etoposide, and bleomycin. They went into biochemical remission and have remained disease-free at the time of analysis. All of the 59 patients were in biochemical remission at the time of analysis. No significant side effects were observed except that Stevens-Johnson syndrome developed in 1 patient.

Methotrexate infusion therapy described in this study is effective in the treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic disease. The omission of consolidation therapy and folinic acid rescue decreases the cost and duration of treatment.