Choriocarcinoma. Treatment in Germany
Best hospitals and doctors for choriocarcinoma treatment in Germany
Leading hospitals
Cost for treatment
Choriocarcinoma (formerly called chorioepithelioma) is a malignant tumor found in pregnant women that develops from the trophoblast layers (cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast). The precursor of choriocarcinoma may be a hydatidiform mole. Malignant tumors developed from the trophoblast are the result of genetic disorders in pregnancy. Doctors in Germany successfully deal with the treatment of this disease. The specialists destroy the tumor with chemotherapy. Uterine bleeding is eliminated with uterine artery embolization. If conservative therapy does not work, the doctors then resort to surgical interventions. These are performed using minimally invasive techniques, and if possible, with uterine preservation.
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In most cases, the disease can be cured with chemotherapy. In some women, the tumor does not regress and must be removed using surgical techniques. German doctors prefer minimally invasive organ-preserving operations, in order to preserve a woman's reproductive ability.
You can undergo your treatment in one of the following hospitals: University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, Leverkusen Clinic, or University Hospital Tuebingen.
Please make an appointment for your treatment on the Booking Health website, and we will fully organize it. The specialists of the Booking Health company will recommend a clinic and a doctor to you, book a place in a hospital or make an outpatient appointment for you, help you to get a visa, provide interpreting services, take care of avoiding extra charges, translate your medical records into German, and help you with any questions that may arise.
Treatment by stages and risk groups
What the treatment of choriocarcinoma will be depends on the risk group and stage of the pathology. The risk group is determined by the woman's age, her hCG levels, pregnancy characteristics, duration of the illness, tumor mass, location of metastases and their number, and any previous treatment. The doctors score points and classify the woman as either in the low- or high-risk group. The stage depends on the tumor spread: in the first 2 stages it is limited to the uterus and the reproductive system, in stage 3 metastases appear in the lungs, and in stage 4 the patient has distant metastases of another localization.
The women from the low-risk group, suffering from stages 1-3, are treated with a single chemotherapy drug. The high risk group, in stages 2-4, need polychemotherapy, radiotherapy is a possible treatment, and in 50% of cases, there is a need for surgery.
After a successful treatment, the specialists continue follow-up monitoring, as a relapse can develop. In the first year, a monthly blood test for determining hCG levels is indicated for the early detection of signs of a recurring tumor.
Treatment methods
The main therapeutic methods are chemotherapy and surgery treatment. Radiation therapy can be used rarely. Uterine fibroid embolization is used to eliminate uterine bleeding.
Chemotherapy is considered the main treatment for choriocarcinoma. Most tumors regress under the influence of drugs. Even uterine bleeding is not considered a contraindication to chemotherapy. It is continued, parallel with additional procedures and using hemostatic drugs to stop the bleeding. Chemotherapy is carried out until the hCG levels in the blood become normal. A test is carried out every 2 weeks, and for the high-risk group it is required once a week. If the hCG levels gradually become lower, this indicates that chemotherapy is working and it is advisable to continue it. Once the hCG levels are normalized, 3 more preventive courses, in a similar mode, are required.
Uterine artery embolization is an endovascular procedure that aims to stop a massive uterine bleed. In many cases, this procedure prevents uterine removal surgery, as it allows chemotherapy to be carried out in full. Uterine artery embolization is performed through an incision in the leg. Doctors clog the blood vessels with emboli. Immediately after this procedure, the bleeding stops.
Radiation therapy is not very common for this disease. Essentially, doctors in Germany use stereotactic radiotherapy to suppress brain metastases if they do not regress under the influence of chemotherapy.
Surgical treatment of choriocarcinoma in Germany involves the use of two types of operations:
- a tumor resection within healthy tissues with uterine preservation;
- a hysterectomy, which is a surgical procedure to remove the uterus.
If a woman has no reproductive plans, then there is no point in preserving the uterus. These patients undergo a hysterectomy. Young women who want to have children in the future, undergo a tumor resection with uterine preservation. This operation is technically more difficult, but doctors in Germany successfully perform it. After the operation and a subsequent rehabilitation, the woman can become pregnant again.
The clinics in Germany perform laparoscopic interventions through short abdominal incisions instead of a traumatic open surgery. Some specialized centers also perform robot-assisted surgical interventions. These surgical treatment options are distinguished by greater safety, less blood loss, less traumatization of the healthy tissues, faster rehabilitation, and better aesthetic results.
To benefit from the best results with minimal health risks, you can undergo your treatment in Germany. The doctors will try to cure you without performing any surgery. Should a surgical procedure be required, it will be minimally invasive, with a high probability of preserving your uterus and the possibility of a pregnancy in the future. You can make an appointment for your diagnostics and treatment of choriocarcinoma in one of the German hospitals on the Booking Health website. You can use our website to compare the cost of services in different medical centers to get your treatment at the best price. Our staff will select the best clinic in Germany for you, whose doctors specialize in choriocarcinoma treatment, and will take care of your entire trip abroad.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
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