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Staging

The stage of gestational trophoblastic disease is a term used to describe its size and whether it has spread beyond its original area in the body.

Knowing the type and stage helps the doctors to decide on the most appropriate treatment. Gestational trophoblastic disease is not graded like other cancers.

Hydatidiform moles are not staged, as they are only found in the uterus and do not spread to other parts of the body.

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasms are staged as follows:[1][2]

  • Stage I – the tumour is in the uterus only.
  • Stage II – the cancer has spread outside of the uterus to the ovary, fallopian tube, vagina, and/or the ligaments that support the uterus.
  • Stage III – the cancer has spread to the lungs.
  • Stage IV – the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body other than the lungs.

If gestational trophoblastic disease comes back after initial treatment, this is known as recurrent disease. Gestational trophoblastic disease may come back in the uterus or in another part of the body.

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