Anyone have or heard of Trophoblastic Disease? It is cancer & I was just wondering if I'm alone??

Question

Just wanted to chat about side affects with the chemo. The do's & don'ts of it all.

Answer 1

You are referring to Gestational Trophoblastic Disease which involves tumors or abnormal cells developing inside a woman's uterus. GTD is a cancer of the cells that surround an embryo. There are several different types and subtypes of the disease:

1. Hydatidiform mole is often called a molar pregnancy. A baby never actually forms, just clusters of cells that are rarely if ever malignant.

There are several different types of hydatidform moles . . a complete mole occurs when a sperm fertilizes an empty egg.
A partial hydatidform mole develops when two sperm fertilize a normal egg but no viable life forms . . only tumor.

A Persistent GTD can occur when moles persist even after treatment. Even with surgery these moles continue to come back and some are invasive actually penetrating the wall of the uterus. It is also possible for these to spread (metastasize) so chemotherapy is used to treat the disease.

2. Choriocarcinoma is a malignancy of the layer of the membrane that surrounds a fetus. Choriocarcinoma can occur after a mole pregancy or after a normal pregnancy or after a miscarriage.

3. Placental-site Trophoblastic Tumor is a cancer that develops where the placenta attaches to the uterus.

For more information and support group information visit:

Eyes on the Prize - support for gynecologic cancers
http://eyesontheprize.org/

International Society for the Study of Trophoblastic Diseases (ISSTD)
http://www.isstd.org/

NCI: Gestational Trophoblastic Tumor
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/gestationaltrophoblastic/

ACOR: Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (Cancer) Support List (looks dated)
http://listserv.acor.org/archives/gtd.html

Medline Plus: Gestational trophoblastic disease
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001496.htm

People Living with Cancer: Gestational trophoblastic disease
http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC/menuitem.6067beb2271039bcfd748f68ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=ea07ea7105daa010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCRD&vgnextfmt=cancer

Answer 2

This must have been a particularly devastating diagnosis.

Many forms of cancer have simillar chemo treatments.

Once you know what your oncologist recommends, you may get more responce by asking for ideas from anyone else who has had that treatment.

Good luck