Trophoblastic tumors of the uterus-problems of methotrexate therapy

Nineteen patients with trophoblastic tumors of the uterus were evaluated at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. Eight patients, admitted before 1956, did not receive chemotherapy; the mortality rate was 87.5 per cent. Ten of the remaining 11 patients were given intermittent, intensive Methotrexate therapy; actinomycin D and vincristine were used in treating two patients in whom resistance to Methotrexate developed. The mortality was 10 per cent. Toxicity was a prominent factor but was completely reversible when chemotherapy was stopped.None of the patients showed recurrent disease during follow-up evaluation eight months to five years and eight months after therapy was completed.It is postulated that continuing chemotherapy four to six months after the chorionic gonadotropin titer becomes negative decreases recurrent disease.