Types of treatment for molar pregnancy
This page tells you about how your doctor decides which treatment you need for molar pregnancy. There is information about
Types of treatment for molar pregnancy
This condition is part of a group of tumours called gestational trophoblastic tumours (or GTT for short). Molar pregnancy is not a cancer, but if it doesn't go away, or comes back, it is treated like a cancer.
Surgery for molar pregnancy
Most women will only need minor surgery to remove a molar pregnancy and get rid of their disease for good. This is usually an operation called a dilatation and curettage (D and C). Occasionally the doctors might give you a tablet instead of surgery. The tablet makes your womb contract and empties the contents of your womb.
Follow up
Once you’ve had an operation to remove the molar tissue, your doctors will keep a very close eye on your blood and urine hCG levels. All women who are diagnosed with any type of GTT are referred to one of 3 specialist centres in the UK who monitor your follow up. This is because it is a rare condition, and the experts at treating it are concentrated in a few places.
Further treatment
About 15 out of every 100 women who have had a complete molar pregnancy (15%) need treatment with chemotherapy. After a partial molar pregnancy about 1 in 200 women (0.5%) need chemotherapy. If you need chemotherapy, you will need to go to either the Sheffield or London treatment centres to have it.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating molar pregnancy section.
Molar pregnancy is a type of gestational trophoblastic tumour (GTT). It is not a cancer, but if it doesn't go away, or comes back after surgery, it is called an invasive mole or persistent trophoblastic disease and is treated like a cancer. There is information about persistent disease in our section about treating persistent trophoblastic disease and choriocarcinoma.
There is treatment for all types and stages of GTT. And nearly all of them are curable. The important thing is to begin treatment as soon after your diagnosis as possible.
Most women only need minor surgery to remove a molar pregnancy and get rid of it for good. This is usually an operation called a dilatation and curretage (D and C). Some women may need a second D and C if the first one does not get rid of all the molar tissue.
Occasionally, for a suspected partial molar pregnancy your doctors might give you a tablet instead of surgery. The tablet makes your womb contract and empties the contents of your womb. It causes bleeding, which is a bit like a heavy period.
Once you’ve had an operation to remove the molar tissue from your womb, you will need to be monitored (followed up). Follow up means keeping a very close eye on your blood and urine hCG levels. Although you will have the D and C operation at your local hospital, your blood and urine tests will be checked by a specialist hospital. All women in the UK who are diagnosed with any type of GTT are referred to one of 3 specialist hospitals for follow up (in London, Sheffield or Dundee). This is because it is a very rare condition, and the experts treating it are based in a few places. There is detailed information about follow up after molar pregnancy in this section.
Most women will only need minor surgery for a molar pregnancy. But about 15 out of every 100 women who have had a complete molar pregnancy (15%) need treatment with chemotherapy. After a partial molar pregnancy about 1 in 200 women (0.5%) need chemotherapy.
If you need chemotherapy, you will go to either the Sheffield or London treatment hospitals to have it. There is information about chemotherapy for persistent trophoblastic disease and choriocarcinoma in this section of CancerHelp UK.
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