title: Effects of prophylactic chemotherapy for postmolar trophoblastic disease in patients with complete hydatidiform mole.
abstract: An analysis of 233 patients with complete hydatidiform mole admitted to Hacettepe University Hospital between 1964 and 1988 has been carried out. Methotrexate was administered prophylactically to 19 of 120 low-risk and to 52 of 113 high-risk patients. The difference in the incidence of postmolar gestational trophoblastic disease between prophylactically untreated and treated groups of either low-risk (13.9% versus 5.3%, P greater than 0.01) or high-risk (26.2% versus 25.0%, P greater than 0.01) patients was found to be statistically insignificant. Drug toxicity and mortality rates were 16.9% and 2.8%, respectively. It is concluded that prophylactic chemotherapy is not highly effective in the prophylaxis of postmolar gestational trophoblastic disease. Strict follow-up through sensitive betahuman chorionic gonadotropin assays should be the standard management of postmolar patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayhan
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ergeneli
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yüce
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Yapar
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kisnisci
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006828:Hydatidiform Mole / Q000150:complications*; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk; D014328:Trophoblastic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D008727:Methotrexate