Gestational trophoblastic disease my first cancer

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At 24 I lost my baby girl at 19 and a half weeks gestation.

Gestational trophoblastic disease is the term for a number of pregnancy conditions that involve the placental (afterbirth) tissue turning cancerous. This cancer occurs in one in every 1,200-1,500 pregnancies. The main symptoms are violent morning sickness or abnormal bleeding in pregnancy or after a curette for a miscarriage.

The tumour is called a mole, and the pregnancy is known as a molar pregnancy. In most cases, the woman miscarries and passes the mole from her body, or it is removed with a D&C (dilatation and curettage).

In other cases, the mole becomes cancerous and can spread to other parts of her body. A key symptom of gestational trophoblastic disease is violent morning sickness, caused by higher than normal levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). The cause of gestational trophoblastic disease is unknown, but risk factors include maternal age - women aged less than 20 years or more than 40 years are most susceptible.

Symptoms

The symptoms of gestational trophoblastic disease can include:

Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
The uterus is either too big or, less commonly, too small for the gestational age of the fetus
No fetal movement
No fetal heartbeat
Extremely severe morning sickness
Ultrasound reveals a ‘blighted ovum’.

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