Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia medical therapy

Template:Choriocarcinoma Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Chemotherapy

Low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (FIGO Score 0–6)

The initial regimen is generally given until a normal beta human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) (for the institution) is achieved and sustained for 3 consecutive weeks (or at least for one treatment cycle beyond normalization of the beta-hCG). A salvage regimen is instituted if any of the following occur:

A plateau of the beta-hCG for 3 weeks (defined as a beta-hCG decrease of 10% or less for 3 consecutive weeks). A rise in beta-hCG of greater than 20% for 2 consecutive weeks. Appearance of metastases.

The use of chemotherapy in the first-line management of low-risk GTN Treatment commonly used treatment regimens include the following:

• The 8-day charing cross regimen. Methotrexate (50 mg IM on days 1, 3, 5, and 7) AND folinic acid (7.5 mg PO on days 2, 4, 6, and 8). This may be the most common regimen worldwide
• Biweekly pulsed dactinomycin (1.25 mg/m2 IV)
• Weekly methotrexate (30 mg/m2 IM). Efficacy of this regimen appears to be low for choriocarcinoma and for patients with (FIGO) risk scores of 5 to 6

Other regimens in less-common use include the following:

• An 8-day regimen of methotrexate(1 mg/kg IM days 1, 3, 5, and 7) AND folinic acid (0.1 mg/kg IM days 2, 4, 6, and 8)
• Methotrexate 20 mg/m2 IM days 1 to 5, repeated every 14 days
• Dactinomycin 12 μg/kg/day IV days 1 to 5, repeated every 2 to 3 weeks
• Methotrexate 20 mg IM daily, days 1 to 5; and dactinomycin 500 μg IV daily, days 1 to 5, repeated every 14 days
• Dactinomycin 10 μg/kg/day, days 1 to 5, repeated every 2 weeks
• Methotrexate 0.4 mg/kg/day IM daily on days 1 to 5, repeated after 7 days
• Etoposide 100 mg/m2/day IV on days 1 to 5, or 250 mg/m2 IV on days 1 and 3, at 10-day intervals

High-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (FIGO Score ≥7) Treatment

• EMA/CO (i.e., etoposide, methotrexate, and dactinomycin/cyclophosphamide and vincristine) is the most commonly used regimen, the specifics are provided in Table below.

Day	Drug	Dose
1	Etoposide	100 mg/m2 IV for 30 min
	Dactinomycin	0.5 mg IV push
	Methotrexate	300 mg/m2 IV for 12 h
2	Etoposide	100 mg/m2 IV for 30 min
	Dactinomycin	0.5 mg IV push
	Folinic Acid	15 mg or PO every 12 h × 4 doses, beginning 24 h after the start of methotrexate
8	Cyclophosphamide	600 mg/m2 IV infusion
	Vincristine	0.8–1.0 mg/m2 IV push (maximum dose 2 mg

Cycles are repeated every 2 weeks (on days 15, 16, and 22) until any metastases present at diagnosis disappear and serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) has normalized, then the treatment is usually continued for an additional three to four cycles.

• Patients with documented brain metastases received higher doses of systemic methotrexate as part of the EMA component (i.e., etoposide, methotrexate, folinic acid, and dactinomycin) of EMA/CO (1 g/m2 intravenously [IV] for 24 hours, followed by folinic-acid rescue, 15 mg orally every 6 hours for 12 doses starting 32 hours after methotrexate).
• Patients with brain metastases received an increased dose of systemic methotrexate of 1 g/m2 for 24 hours followed by folinic acid (15 mg orally every 6 hours for 12 doses starting 32 hours after methotrexate).
• Patients with lung metastases received cranial prophylaxis with irradiation and intrathecal methotrexate 12.5 mg every 2 weeks with the CO (i.e., cyclophosphamide and vincristine) cycles.
• Examples of other regimens that have been used include the following:
• MAC: Methotrexate AND folinic acid AND dactinomycin AND cyclophosphamide.
• Another MAC: Methotrexate AND dactinomycin AND chlorambucil.
• EMA: Etoposide AND methotrexate AND folinic acid AND dactinomycin (EMA/CO without the CO).
• CHAMOCA: Methotrexate AND dactinomycin AND cyclophosphamide AND doxorubicin AND melphalan AND hydroxyurea AND vincristine.
• CHAMOMA: Methotrexate AND folinic acid AND hydroxyurea AND dactinomycin AND vincristine AND melphalan AND doxorubicin.