Pregnancy outcome of patients conceiving within one year after chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic tumor: a clinical report of 22 cases.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the risk of pregnancy for patients who conceive within one year after successful chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic tumor (GTT).

METHODS

We followed up and analysed retrospectively 22 patients who conceived within one year after receiving chemotherapy for GTT from 1966 through 1996.

RESULTS

Of 22 patients, 9 had term delivery, 1 had premature birth, 6 requested induced abortion, and 6 experienced therapeutic abortion because of repeated hydatidiform mole (1 patient), intrauterine death (1), inevitable abortion (1), or threatened abortion (3). The fetal wastage rate was 27.3% (6/22). The incidence of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), including hydatidiform mole, was 9.1% (2/22). The incidence of GTT was 4.5%. The average interval between completion of chemotherapy and pregnancy was 9.78 months in the group of term pregnancy and 6.50 months in the group of fetal wastage (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients conceiving within one year after successful chemotherapy for GTT are at higher risk for recurrence of GTD and fetal wastage. Therefore, patients with preserved fertility should practice contraception for at least one year after chemotherapy to get better pregnancy outcome.