Twenty years' experience of treating gestational trophoblastic neoplasia in Sweden

Experience gathered during the last 20 years in the treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is presented. Fifty-eight cases were treated at the Karolinska Hospital during the period of 1966-86. This number accounts for approximately 50% of the cases in Sweden during this period of time. Thirty-four patients developed their malignancy after a molar pregnancy. Thirty-three patients were nonmetastatic and of the 25 metastatic cases, 6 patients were staged to a high-risk group. Chemotherapy was given to all patients except one who had a primary choriocarcinoma in an ectopic pregnancy. Surgery was performed in elective cases or when chemotherapy failed. Surgical procedures were also performed in a few emergency situations. Since 1978 all patients were started on methotrexate--folinic acid ad modum Goldstein. When this medication failed, either the CHAMOMA (vincristine, methotrexate--folinic acid, actinomycin D, melphalan, adriamycin) or later the EMA/CA (etoposide, methotrexate--folinic acid, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin) regimen ad modum Bagshawe was given. An overall remission rate of 96.5% was achieved. The minimum period of follow-up was 2 years. The 2 patients who died (in 1966 and 1982) were referred to our department in a late stage. Five patients had a late recurrence and all but one were successfully treated.