title: Results of low-dose methotrexate treatment of persistent gestational trophoblastic disease in Sheffield 1980-1987.
abstract: Between January 1980 and October 1987, 115 evaluable patients were treated in Sheffield for persistent gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) with a low dose methotrexate regimen (LD-MTX). Each course comprised MTX 50 mg given by i.m. injection for 4 doses on alternate days. Courses were repeated every 2 weeks and serum beta-hCG was used to monitor response. Overall, 80/115 (70%) of patients attained durable complete remissions (CR). Twenty-nine patients received the 'AVC' salvage combination of actinomycin-D 0.5 mg i.v. for 5 days, sequenced with cyclophosphamide 500 mg i.v. and vincristine 1 mg i.v., both given for 3 doses on alternate days. Sixteen (55%) patients attained a durable CR but 11 (38%) required further measures, 7 ultimately requiring hysterectomy. Two (7%) died during treatment. With 4 deaths overall (3 from metastatic GTD and 1 from infarction of the bowel), actuarial survival is 94% at over 7.5 years. A new Charing Cross prognostic scale weighted especially for hCG levels, number and sites of metastases, interval between pregnancy and start of treatment (score 0-6 each factor), was applied retrospectively to obtain a total score for each patient. Thus, 21/26 (81%) patients who scored greater than 8, required additional treatment after LD-MTX, compared with 18/89 (20%) of lower scoring patients (p less than 0.001). Because of the frequent morbidity associated with prolonged chemotherapy as well as the development of drug-resistant GTD, it is concluded that the 'high-risk' patients should receive more intensive combination chemotherapy at the outset.
authors.affiliation: Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Jessop Hospital for Women, Sheffield, England.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dorreen
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Pennington
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Neal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors; D014328:Trophoblastic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008727:Methotrexate