Changes in the Management of High-risk Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia in the National Trophoblastic Disease Center of Hungary

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical management of patients with high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) among the periods of 1977-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2012 at the National Trophoblastic Disease Center of Hungary and to assess the efficacy of the FIGO 2000 staging and risk factor scoring system in comparison to the original WHO prognostic scoring system (1983). STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed the medical records of 185 patients with high-risk GTN. From 1977-2000, patients were classified according to the original WHO prognostic scoring system (1983). From 2001-2012, high-risk patients were categorized by the FIGO 2000 system. We assessed the efficacy of MAC and EMA-CO primary combination chemotherapies. For 1977-2006 and 2007-2012 we assessed the efficacy of MAC and EMA-CO primary combination chemotherapies. RESULTS: From 1977-1990, 63 high-risk patients (average, 4-5 patients/year), from 1991-2000, 50 high-risk patients (average, 5 patients/year), and from 2001-2012, 72 high-risk patients (average, 6 patients/year) were treated primarily with combination chemotherapy (MAC and/or EMA-CO and/or CEB). From 1977-2006, 100 high-risk patients received MAC primary combination chemotherapy and 17 cases received EMA-CO. The ratio of primary MAC and EMA-CO therapy among our high-risk patients was 5.9 (100/17) over the referred period. From 2007 2012, 21 high-risk patients were treated with primary MAC chemotherapy and 16 patients received EMA-CO. The MAC/EMA-CO ratio over this time interval was 1.3 (21/16)., CONCLUSION: We attained complete remission in 95.7% of the high-risk patients. During the last 6 years the use of EMA-CO primary combination chemotherapy increased among our high-risk patients, which has resulted in increased efficacy and fewer side effects.