Gestational Trophoblastic Disease - More About It!

Gestational trophoblastic disease is a rare condition. It only happens when trophoblast cells abnormally grow inside the uterus. Also, this only happens after conception. These cells surround the egg which has been fertilized in the uterus. It is also worth note that the trophoblast cells usually connect the fertilized eggs to the uterus' walls and also form a part of the placenta. It is only when there is a tumor that this disease is diagnosed.

There are many forms of gestational trophoblastic disease. Here they are:

Types

1. Complete hydatidiform moles
2. Partial hydatidiform moles
3. Invasive moles
4. Choriocarcinomas
5. Placental-site trophoblastic tumors (PSTT)
6. Epithelioid trophoblastic tumors (ETT)
It is worth note that most of these diseases have different stages. The stage of how far the cancer has developed can be found out using the following techniques.

Testing for cancer

1. Chest X-ray
This is simply an X-ray of the chest.

2. MRI 
An MRI is an abbreviation of magnetic resonance imaging. It makes use of a form of magnet which transfers radio waves to a computer to find out what is going on within your body.

3. CT scan
This is similar to an X-ray except that more detailed and larger pictures inside the body can be taken and the scan has a slightly different procedure.

There are several ways to treat it depending on how far the cancer has spread into the body. Here they are:

1. Surgery
Surgery is usually done while the mole is still non-cancerous. The chances of the mole becoming cancerous are increased by pregnancy. Therefore, it is crucial that you do not become pregnant until the surgery is complete.

2. Chemotherapy
This is a less-ideal option but has to be taken if the mole has become cancerous.