Clinical characteristics and prognosis of ultra high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia patients: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE: The gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) patients with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) score≥12 are defined as ultra high-risk GTN. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics, the treatment efficiency, and the prognosis of ultra high-risk GTN patients. METHODS: Between January 2002 and December 2015, medical record data of 143 GTN patients with FIGO score≥12 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) were reviewed. Ratios were compared using chi-square test, and prognostic risk factors were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Among the 143 ultra high-risk GTN patients, 94 (65.7%) patients had achieved complete remission and 15.9% (15/94) patients relapsed after complete remission. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the entire cohort approached 67.9%. The results of the multivariate analysis revealed that non-molar antecedent pregnancy [Relative risk (RR) 4.689, 95% CI 1.448-15.189, P=0.010], brain metastases (RR 2.280, 95% CI 1.248-4.163, P=0.007), previous failed multiagent chemotherapy (RR 5.345, 95% CI 2.222-12.857, P=0.000) and surgery (RR 0.336, 95% CI 0.177-0.641, P=0.001) all had influence on the prognosis of ultra high-risk GTN patients. CONCLUSIONS: GTN patients with FIGO score≥12 have a poor prognosis. More emphasis should be placed on non-molar antecedent pregnancy, brain metastases, and previous multiagent chemotherapy failure. Moreover, salvage surgery may improve the prognosis. Floxuridine-based multiagent chemotherapy is effective with manageable toxicity for ultra high-risk GTN patients.