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Does methotrexate treat choriocarcinoma?
By successfully curing a rare tumor called gestational choriocarcinoma (or GC) with the use of a chemotherapy drug called methotrexate, researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) paved the way for treatment of solid tumors with chemotherapy.
What is the treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma?
Doctors typically treat gestational choriocarcinoma with chemotherapy. It works by either killing the cancerous cells or stopping the tumor from growing. Some people might need more than one type of chemotherapy. If the tumor has spread, the person might also need radiation therapy and surgery.
What is the drug of choice for choriocarcinoma?
If you have high risk PTD or choriocarcinoma, you might have the drug methotrexate by drip into a vein (intravenous infusion). This is followed a week later by the drugs actinomycin and etoposide. Or you may have a combination of chemotherapy drugs called EMA-CO.
Which anticancer agent can be used in treatment of choriocarcinoma?
The majority of patients with choriocarcinoma (~95%) caused by molar pregnancy belong to this group, and treatment with methotrexate and dactinomycin alleviated the entire choriocarcinoma in 50–90% of patients (10,45).
What are treatment options for gestational trophoblastic disease?
Treatment of recurrent or resistant gestational trophoblastic tumor may include the following: Chemotherapy with one or more anticancer drugs for tumors previously treated with surgery. Combination chemotherapy for tumors previously treated with chemotherapy. Surgery for tumors that do not respond to chemotherapy.
How does methotrexate chemotherapy work?
As mentioned, methotrexate is a chemotherapy medication that can help stop the growth of cancer cells. It blocks a chemical in your body called dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), a substance necessary to make new DNA. This can slow the process of cell growth and spread that causes cancer.
What is methotrexate chemotherapy?
Methotrexate is one of a group of chemotherapy drugs called anti metabolites. These stop cells making and repairing DNA. Cancer cells need to make and repair DNA so that they can grow and multiply. Methotrexate stops the cells working properly.
How do you manage choriocarcinoma?
Treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) (invasive mole or choriocarcinoma) may include the following: Chemotherapy with one or more anticancer drugs. Treatment is given until the beta human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) level is normal for at least 3 weeks after treatment ends.
Can choriocarcinoma be cured?
If your tumor is low-risk, meaning it’s small and hasn’t spread, chemotherapy is the main treatment. You’ll get it until there are no signs of cancer in your body based on hCG levels. If your cancer is high-risk, you may need surgery and chemo, or surgery, chemo, and radiation.
When do you give methotrexate for molar pregnancy?
In this course of treatment, methotrexate is given on days 1, 3, 5, and 7, and leucovorin is given on days 2, 4, 6, and 8. Each cycle has 8 days of drug treatment, followed usually by a 7-day rest period and then the cycle is repeated.
Is choriocarcinoma benign or malignant?
A choriocarcinoma is a malignant tumor that forms from trophoblast cells and spreads to the muscle layer of the uterus and nearby blood vessels.
How long is the treatment for choriocarcinoma?
Treatment for choriocarcinoma usually takes 4-5 months to complete and the cure rate is over 95%.
Can Stage 4 choriocarcinoma be cured?
Fortunately, most women who are found to have choriocarcinoma can be cured; treatment with a combination of chemotherapy agents such as etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and vincristine (EMA-CO) is found to be very effective at achieving remission.
What are the contraindications of methotrexate?
Who should not take METHOTREXATE?
- a bad infection.
- dehydration.
- condition resulting from a defective immune system.
- low blood counts due to bone marrow failure.
- anemia.
- decreased blood platelets.
- low levels of white blood cells.
- low levels of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils.
How quickly does choriocarcinoma spread?
Choriocarcinoma can develop some months or even years after pregnancy and can be difficult to diagnose, because it is so unexpected. They can grow quickly and might cause symptoms within a short period of time. They can spread to other parts of the body but are very likely to be cured by chemotherapy treatment.
Can choriocarcinoma come back?
A choriocarcinoma may come back within a few months to 3 years after treatment. The condition is harder to cure if the cancer has spread and one or more of the following happens: Disease spreads to the liver or brain. Pregnancy hormone (HCG) level is higher than 40,000 mIU/mL when treatment begins.
Is single-agent methotrexate chemotherapy effective for nonmetastatic gestational trophoblastic disease?
Conclusions: In a large series of patients with nonmetastatic gestational trophoblastic disease, single-agent methotrexate chemotherapy proved to be an extremely well-tolerated and effective treatment. Choriocarcinoma / drug therapy*
Which medications are used in the treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia?
Escobar PF, Lurain JR, Singh DK, et al.: Treatment of high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia with etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine chemotherapy. Gynecol Oncol 91 (3): 552-7, 2003.
Is there a cure for gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD)?
Gestational trophoblastic disease usually can be cured. Treatment and prognosis depend on the following: The type of GTD. Whether the tumor has spread to the uterus, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body. The number of tumors and where they are in the body. The size of the largest tumor. The level of β-hCG in the blood.
What is the most common regimen for treatment of methotrexate toxicity?
Methotrexate (50 mg intramuscularly [IM] on days 1, 3, 5, and 7) and folinic acid (7.5 mg orally on days 2, 4, 6, and 8). This may be the most common regimen worldwide, [ 1, 6] but it has not been directly compared with other regimens. Biweekly pulsed dactinomycin (1.25 mg/m 2 IV). Weekly methotrexate (30 mg/m 2 IM).