title: Treatment of high-risk gestational trophoblastic disease with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy.
abstract: Seventy-three patients with metastatic high-risk gestational trophoblastic disease were treated with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy at the Brewer Trophoblastic Disease Center between 1968 and 1982. Forty-six patients were treated primarily with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide because of the presence of one or more high-risk factors. Twenty-seven additional patients who had not responded to initial single-agent chemotherapy with methotrexate and/or actinomycin D were subsequently treated with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide. Adjuvant surgery and radiotherapy were used in selected patients. The overall cure rate was 51% (37 of 73): 63% (29 of 46) for primary treatment and 30% (eight of 27) for secondary treatment (P less than .01). Several factors that influenced response to primary treatment with methotrexate, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy were determined: 1) clinicopathologic diagnosis of choriocarcinoma versus invasive mole (59 versus 100%), 2) metastases to sites other than the lung and/or vagina (44 versus 74%), 3) antecedent term gestation compared with hydatidiform mole or abortion (50 versus 75%), and 4) presence of three or more high-risk factors (27 versus 74%). There were no significant differences in cure rates during the course of the study period.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lurain
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006828:Hydatidiform Mole / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D014328:Trophoblastic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D003609:Dactinomycin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008727:Methotrexate