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Diagnosis & Staging of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease |
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Diagnosis
In order to diagnose GTD, your doctor may perform the following tests:
- Blood tests: These generally include a CBC (complete blood count) as well as a test to measure for human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels. The HCG levels are generally elevated during pregnancy, but abnormally high levels can indicate GTD.
- Ultrasound imaging: Use of ultrasound can rule out presence of a fetus, and can detect a mole as well as determine whether it has spread
- Additional imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or positron emission tomography (PET) scan may be used to determine whether GTD may have spread to other organs.
Staging
A process called staging is used to determine whether your cancer has spread and if so, to what extent. Staging is also used to determine your treatment options.
In GTD, staging includes a number of factors, not just tumor size or progression. These factors include your age, your prior pregnancies, the exact site of the cancer and number of growths, and whether any previous treatments have failed. This information is incorporated into the following stages to determine a prognosis and course of treatment.
- Stage I: The tumor has not spread outside the uterus
- Stage II: The cancer has spread outside the uterus but is limited to the genital structures (vagina or pelvis or both)
- Stage III: The cancer has spread to the lungs and may or may not also involve genital structures such as the vagina or vulva
- Stage IV: The cancer has spread distantly to other organs (such as the brain, liver, kidneys and/or gastrointestinal tract)
Read more about Gestational Trophoblastic Disease
 Request a Consultation with a UCSD Gynecologic Oncology Specialist Using our Online Form
 Call our New Patient Office at (858) 822-6100, or toll-free (866) 773-2703
Gynecologic Cancer Unit
Moores UCSD Cancer Center
3855 Health Sciences Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
(866) 773-2703 |