Choriocarcinoma (patient information)

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Choriocarcinoma

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Choriocarcinoma?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Prevention

Choriocarcinoma On the Web

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Images of Choriocarcinoma

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FDA on Choriocarcinoma

CDC on Choriocarcinoma

Choriocarcinoma in the news

Blogs on Choriocarcinoma

Directions to Hospitals Treating Choriocarcinoma

Risk calculators and risk factors for Choriocarcinoma

Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Overview

Choriocarcinoma is a quick-growing form of cancer that occurs in a woman's uterus (womb). The abnormal cells start in the tissue that would normally become the placenta, the organ that develops during pregnancy to feed the fetus. Choriocarcinoma is a type of gestational trophoblastic disease.

What are the symptoms of Choriocarcinoma?

What causes Choriocarcinoma?

  • A baby may or may not develop in these types of pregnancy.
  • The abnormal tissue from the mole can continue to grow even after it is removed and can turn into cancer.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms arise within 1 year after hydatidiform mole, abortion (including miscarriage), or term pregnancy.

Diagnosis

  • Blood tests that may be done include:
  • Imaging tests that may be done include:

Treatment options

  • After an initial diagnosis, a careful history and examination are done to make sure the cancer has not spread to other organs.

Where to find medical care for Choriocarcinoma?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Choriocarcinoma

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

  • Most women whose cancer has not spread can be cured and will maintain reproductive function.
  • The condition is harder to cure if the cancer has spread and one of more of the following events occur:
  • Many women (about 70%) who initially have a poor outlook go into remission (a disease-free state).

Possible complications

  • A choriocarcinoma may come back after treatment, usually within several months but possibly as late as 3 years.

Prevention

Careful monitoring after the removal of hydatidiform mole or termination of pregnancy can lead to early diagnosis of a choriocarcinoma, which improves outcome.

Source

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001496.htm

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