Postmolar surveillance at a trophoblastic disease center that serves indigent women.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine compliance with postmolar pregnancy surveillance in our indigent population.


METHODS
Data for all women who were diagnosed with molar pregnancy from January 1996 through December 2000 were entered prospectively into a database. After remission, postmolar pregnancy surveillance was continued for 6 months. Patients whose condition required chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic tumor had 12 months of follow-up. Medical records were reviewed.


RESULTS
Molar pregnancies occurred in 121 women: 103 Hispanic women (85%), 12 African American women (10%), and 6 white women (5%). Eighty-two women (68%) achieved remission without chemotherapy; 23 women (19%) were lost to follow-up without achieving remission, and 16 women (13%) had gestational trophoblastic tumor. Fifty-six Hispanic women (54%) completed postmolar pregnancy surveillance, compared with two African American women (11%, P <.01). Hispanic patients who were fluent in Spanish only were more likely to complete follow-up than bilingual Hispanic patients (62% vs 41%, P <.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Hispanic women who were fluent in Spanish only were most likely to complete the recommended postmolar human chorionic gonadotropin surveillance.
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Southwestern Trophoblastic Disease Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, J7.124, Dallas, TX 75390-9032, USA.
Jennifer E
JE
Allen
Melanie R
MR
King
Diana F
DF
Farrar
David S
DS
Miller
John O
JO
Schorge
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006828:Hydatidiform Mole / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019233:Retreatment; D013781:Texas; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003609:Dactinomycin; D008727:Methotrexate