Recurrent Hydatidiform Mole—Tumors and Pregnancy

Tumors during pregnancy are rare, but they can happen. Tumors can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren’t cancer. Malignant ones are. The most common cancers in pregnancy are breast cancer, cervical cancer, lymphoma, and melanoma. Cancer itself rarely harms the baby, and some cancer treatments are safe during pregnancy. You and your health care provider will work together to find the best treatment. Your options will depend on how far along the pregnancy is, as well as the type, size, and stage of your cancer.

Another type of tumor that women can get is called a gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). It happens when a fertilized egg doesn’t become a fetus. GTD is not always easy to find. It is usually benign, but some types can be malignant. The most common type of GTD is a molar pregnancy. In its early stages, it may look like a normal pregnancy. You should see your health care provider if you have vaginal bleeding (not menstrual bleeding).

Treatment depends on the type of tumor, whether it has spread to other places, and your overall health.

• Choriocarcinoma (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Gestational trophoblastic disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Hydatidiform mole (Medical Encyclopedia)

Recurrent hydatidiform mole occurs when women have at least two abnormal pregnancies described as hydatidiform moles. A hydatidiform mole occurs early in pregnancy when an embryo does not fully develop and the placenta develops abnormally. The placenta is a solid structure in the uterus that normally provides nutrients to a growing fetus. If a hydatidiform mole occurs once, it is known a sporadic hydatidiform mole; if it happens again, the condition is known as recurrent hydatidiform mole.A hydatidiform mole often causes vaginal bleeding in the first trimester of the pregnancy. In an ultrasound examination, the abnormal placenta appears as numerous small sacs, often described as resembling a bunch of grapes. In some cases, the ultrasound shows no fetus, umbilical cord, or amniotic sac (a fluid-filled sac that normally surrounds the fetus).Hydatidiform moles are not naturally discharged from the body and must be surgically removed, typically by the end of the first trimester. After removal, there is up to a 20 percent risk that any tissue left behind (persistent mole) will continue to grow and become a cancerous tumor called an invasive mole. The invasive mole can transform into a different form of cancer called gestational choriocarcinoma that can spread (metastasize) to other tissues such as the liver, lungs, or brain.