Choriocarcinoma During Pregnancy

Choriocarcinoma is an extremely rare form of pregnancy-related cancer that responds well to chemotherapy drugs and has excellent recovery rates. Here's what you need to know about the cancer, including who is at risk and the symptoms to look out for.

What is choriocarcinoma?

Choriocarcinoma is a tumor that grows from the cells of the placenta and is a type of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD).

This malignancy most often occurs after a molar pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion or ectopic pregnancy, when any left-behind placental tissues continue to grow despite the absence of a fetus. Only 15 percent of choriocarcinomas occur after a normal pregnancy.

How common is choriocarcinoma?

Luckily, it's not very common at all. Choriocarcinoma occurs in one out of every 40,000 pregnancies.

Who is most at risk for choriocarcinoma?

Choriocarcinoma is most often found in women over the age of 40 and those who have had a molar pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion or ectopic pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of choriocarcinoma?

Signs of choriocarcinoma to watch out for include:

  • Continued vaginal bleeding after a molar pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion or ectopic pregnancy
  • Abnormal tissue discharge
  • Abdominal pain
  • hCG levels that do not return to normal after a pregnancy has ended

If you've had an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion or a molar pregnancy, be sure to see your practitioner for regular follow-up visits to make sure you are healing properly. And call your practitioner if you experience any symptoms listed above within a year of the end of your pregnancy.

How is choriocarcinoma treated?

While any type of cancer carries with it some risk, choriocarcinoma responds extremely well to chemotherapy and radiation treatments and has a cure rate of more than 90 percent.

More good news: Hysterectomy is almost never necessary because of this type of tumor's excellent response to chemotherapy drugs.

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