Choriocarcinoma. Treatment in Germany
Best hospitals and doctors for choriocarcinoma treatment in Germany
Leading hospitals
Due to the difficulties associated with the organization of treatment in Turkey, Switzerland, South Korea and India, we are not currently processing requests to these regions.
If you are interested in treatment in Germany, please leave a request and our specialists will contact you as soon as possible.
Cost for treatment
University Hospital Tuebingen
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Mammology, Obstetrics
Leverkusen Clinic
Department of Gynecology, Urogynecology, Mammology and Obstetrics
University Hospital Ulm
Department of Obstetrics, Adult and Pediatric Gynecology
University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Mammology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine
University Hospital Heidelberg
Department of Obstetrics, Adult and Pediatric Gynecology
University Hospital Frankfurt am Main
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Obstetrics and Mammology
Charite University Hospital Berlin
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Mammology
University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Department of Obstetrics, Adult and Pediatric Gynecology
University Hospital Erlangen
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Mammology, Obstetrics
University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Department of Gynecology and Mammology
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf
Department of Gynecology and Mammology
University Hospital Würzburg
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Mammology and Obstetrics
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Department of Gynecology, Mammology and Obstetrics
University Hospital Duesseldorf
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Obstetrics and Mammology
University Hospital Muenster
Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Obstetrics
Choriocarcinoma (formerly called chorioepithelioma) is a malignant tumor 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 of a pregnancy. Doctors in Germany successfully deal with the treatment of the 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. They are performed using minimally invasive techniques, if possible, with uterine preservation.
Content
In most cases, the disease can be cured with chemotherapy. In some women, the tumor does not regress and must be removed with surgical techniques. German doctors prefer minimally invasive organ-preserving operations in order to preserve the woman's reproductive function.
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, 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 in German and help you with any questions that may arise.
Treatment by stages and risk groups
What will be the treatment of choriocarcinoma depends on the risk group and a stage of the pathology. The risk group is determined by the woman's age, her hCG levels, pregnancy characteristics, a duration of the illness, a tumor mass, a location of metastases and their number, and an experience of previous treatment. The doctors score points and classify the woman as either 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. At high risk, in stages 2-4, a woman needs polychemotherapy, radiotherapy is possible, and in 50% of cases there is a need for surgery.
After the successful treatment, the specialists continue follow-up monitoring, as a relapse may develop. In the first year, a monthly blood test for determining hCG levels is indicated for the early detection of the signs of a recurring tumor.
Treatment methods
The main therapeutic methods are chemotherapy and surgery treatment. Radiation therapy can rarely be used. 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, in parallel with additional procedures and using hemostatic drugs to stop bleeding. Chemotherapy is carried out until the hCG levels in the blood become normal. The 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 will be required.
Uterine artery embolization is an endovascular procedure that aims to stop a massive uterine bleeding. In many cases, this procedure avoids 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. Basically, 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 hysterectomy. Young women who want to have children in the future undergo the tumor resection with uterine preservation. This operation is technically more difficult, but doctors in Germany successfully cope with 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 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 any surgery. Should the surgical procedure be required, it will be minimally invasive, with a high probability of preserving your uterus and the possibility of your 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 for you the best clinic in Germany, whose doctors specialize in choriocarcinoma treatment, and will take care of your 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!
Sources: