• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2441-2445
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• 2015

Background: Several risk factors leading to malignant transformation of hydatidiform moles have been described previously. Many studies showed that prophylactic chemotherapy for high risk hydatidiform moles could significantly decrease the incidence of malignancy. Thus, it is essential to discover a breakthrough to determine patients with high risk malignancy so that prophylactic chemotherapy can be started as soon as possible. Objectives: Development of a scoring system of risk factors as a predictor of hydatidiform mole malignant transformation. Materials and Methods: This research is a case control study with hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma patients as subjects. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Odds ratios (OR), attributable at risk (AR : OR-1) and risk index ($ARx{\beta}$) were calculated for develoipment of a scoring system of malignancy risk. The optimal cut-off point was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: This study analyzed 34 choriocarcinoma cases and 68 benign hydatidiform mole cases. Four factors significantly increased the risk of malignancy, namely age ${\geq}35$ years old (OR:4.41, 95%CI:1.07-16.09, risk index 5); gestational age ${\geq}$ 12weeks (OR:11.7, 95%CI:1.8-72.4, risk index 26); uterine size greater than the gestational age (OR:10.2, 95%CI:2.8-36.6, risk index 21); and histopathological grade II-III (OR:3.4, 95%CI:1.1-10.6, risk index 3). The lowest and the highest scores for the risk factors were zero and 55, respectively. The best cut-off point to decide high risk malignancy patients was ${\geq}31$. Conclusions: Malignant transformation of hydatidiform moles can be predicted using the risk scoring by analyzing the above four parameters. Score ${\geq}31$ implies high risk patients so that prophylactic chemotherapy can be promptly administered for prevention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.2061-2066
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• 2016

Purpose: To determine the significance of P57KIP2 immunohistochemistry expression in the histopathological diagnosis of hydatidiform mole. Materials and Methods: Hydatidiform mole patients at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital between January 1999 and December 2011 were recruited. Two gynecologic pathologists reviewed histopathologic slides to confirm diagnosis. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained using a bstandard immunostaining system with monoclonal antibodies against P57KIP2 protein. Correlations among pathological features, immunohistochemical expression and clinical data were analyzed. Results: One hundred and twenty-seven hydatidiform mole patients were enrolled. After consensus review, 97 cases were diagnosed as complet (CHM) and 30 cases as partial (PHM). Discordance between the first and final H&E diagnoses was found in 19 cases (14.9%, k= 0.578). Significant pathological features to classify the type of hydatidiform mole are central cisterns, trophoblastic proliferation, trophoblastic atypia, two populations of villi, fetal vessels and scalloped borders. After performing immunohistochemistry for P57KIP2, 107 cases were P57KIP2 negative and 20 cases positive. Discordant diagnoses between final H&E diagnosis and P57KIP2 immunohistochemistry was identified in 12 cases (9.4%). Sensitivity of final H&E diagnosis for CHM was 89.7%; specificity was 95.0%. PHM sensitivity and specificity of final H&E diagnosis was 95.0% and 89.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Histopathological diagnosis alone has certain limitations in accurately defining types of hydatidiform mole; P57KIP2 immunohistochemistry is practical and can be a useful adjunct to histopathology to distinguish CHM from non-CHM.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8321-8325
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• 2016

Background: The incidence of hydatidiform mole (HM) differs among regions but has declined significantly over time. In Thailand, the initiation of universal health coverage in 2002 has resulted in a change of medical services countrywide. However, impacts of these policies on gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) cases in Thailand have not been reported. This study aimed to find the incidence of hydatidiform mole (HM) in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) from 1994-2013, comparing before and after the implementation of the universal coverage health policy. Materials and Methods: All cases of GTD in KCMH from 1994-2013 were reviewed from medical records. The incidence of HM, patient characteristics, treatment and remission rates were compared over two study decades between 1994-2003 and 2004-2013. Results: Hydatidiform mole cases decreased from 204 cases in the first decade to 111 cases in the seond decade. Overall incidence of HM was 1.70 per 1,000 deliveries. The incidence of HM in the first and second decades were 1.70 and 1.71 per 1,000 deliveries, respectively (p=0.65, 95%CI 1.54-1.88). Referred cases of nonmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) increased from 12 (4.4%) to 23 (14.4%, p<0.01). Vaginal bleeding was the most common presenting symptom which decreased from 89.4% to 79.6% (p=0.02). Asymptomatic HM patients increased from 4.8% to 10.2% (p=0.07). Rate of postmolar GTN was 26%. Conclusions: The number of HM cases in this study decreased over 2 decades but incidence was unchanged. Referral rates of malignant cases were more common after universal health coverage policy initiation. Classic clinical presentation was decreased significantly in the last decade.

• Oncology Letters
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.2576-2582
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• 2019

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is an unusual disease occurring in pregnancy that originates from abnormal trophoblastic cells and comprises a group of diseases with different properties of invasion, metastasis and recurrence. The GTD group includes hydatidiform moles and gestational trophoblastic neoplasms (GTNs), with GTNs being divided into invasive moles, choriocarcinoma, placental site trophoblastic tumors and epithelioid trophoblastic tumors. The present review focuses on current effective treatments for GTD, including conventional and novel promising direct enzyme prodrug therapies (DEPTs). Conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy and hysterectomy, are currently used in a clinical setting; however, the use of diverse DEPTs, including antibody-DEPT and gene-DEPT is also being attempted to cure GTNs. In addition, gene delivery tools using genetically engineered neural stem cells (NSCs) are presently being examined for the treatment of GTNs. The tumor-tropism of NSCs by chemoattractant factors is a unique characteristic of these cells and can serve as a vehicle to deliver anticancer agents. Previous studies have demonstrated that injection with NSC-expressing suicide genes into xenograft animal models has a significant inhibitory effect on tumor growth. Stem cells can be genetically engineered to express anticancer genes, which migrate to the metastatic sites and selectively target cancer cells, and are considered to effectively target metastatic GTNs. However, the safety issue of stem cell therapy, such as tumorigenesis, remains a challenge. Novel therapies comprising a combination of conventional and novel promising treatments are anticipated to be definitive treatments for metastasized and/or recurrent patients with GTNs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.435-438
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• 2015

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a condition of uncertain etiology, choriocarcioma, or placental-site hydatidiform moles, invasive moles, choriocarcinoma, and placental-site trophoblastic tumors. It arises from the abnormal proliferation of trophoblastic tissue and spreads beyond the uterus hematogenously. The early diagnosis of GTD is important to ensure timely and successful management and the preservation of fertility. We report the unusual case of a metastatic choriocarcinoma that formed bullae on the lung surface and presented as recurrent pneumothorax in a 38-year-old woman with elevated beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. She underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection of the involved lung and four subsequent cycles of consolidation chemotherapy. No other evidence of metastatic disease or recurrent pneumothorax was noted during 22 months of follow-up. GTD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spontaneous pneumothorax in reproductive-age women with an antecedent pregnancy and abnormal beta-hCG levels.