The management of high-risk gestational trophoblastic tumours (GTT)

Between 1979 and 1995 we have treated 272 consecutive women with high-risk (GTT including 121 previously treated patients who were treated with the weekly EMA/CO (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D alternating with cyclophosphamide and vincristine). The median follow-up is 4.5 years (range 1-16 years). The cumulative 5 year survival is 86.2% (95% confidence interval 81.9-90.5%). No deaths from GTT occurred later than 2 years after starting EMA/CO. In a multivariate analysis, adverse prognostic factors were the presence of liver metastases (p < 0.0001), interval from antecedent pregnancy > 24 months (p < 0.0001), brain metastases (p=0.0008) and term delivery of antecedent pregnancy (p=0.045). There were 11 (4%) early deaths while 213 (78%) achieved complete remission. 47 (17%) developed drug resistance to EMA/CO of whom 33 (70%) were salvaged by further cisplatinum based chemotherapy and surgery. 2 women developed acute myeloid leukaemia after treatment with EMA/CO. 56% of women who have been in remission for at least 2 years and had fertility conserving surgery have achieved pregnancy since completing EMA/CO and there have been 112 live births including 3 babies with congenital abnormalities. EMA/CO is an effective, easy to administer and well tolerated regimen for treating patient with high-risk GTT. More than half of these women will retain their fertility. However, there is a small but significant increase in second malignancies.