Drug treatment to remove molar pregnancy

What is a molar pregnancy?

Molar pregnancy is one of a group of conditions known as gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). It is sometimes called a hydatidiform mole. Molar pregnancies are not cancer (they are benign). But there is a very small risk that the molar cells could become cancerous if they are not all removed.

Read more about molar pregnancy

After a diagnosis of molar pregnancy, the molar tissue needs removing from the womb. Most women have surgery, but some women who have a partial molar pregnancy might have drug treatment. This is also called medical management or medical evacuation. It is usually for women whose pregnancy is less than 10 weeks.

Read about surgery to remove a molar pregnancy

Before having drug treatment

Your nurse, doctor, or midwife will explain the treatment to you beforehand. You can ask them any questions that you have. You are likely to feel upset and shocked. It can be hard to take in information. You can ask again if you need to.

How you have the treatment

You have tablets that you usually take at home. The treatment involves taking the tablets at certain times over a couple of days.

Your healthcare team or clinic staff will explain exactly what you need to do and what to expect. Including how and when to take each medication. They will explain the possible side effects you might have and how long they might last.

You will also be given written instructions and contact numbers. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, you can call them for help and support.

The tissue you pass during the treatment is sometimes sent to the laboratory for checking. Your healthcare team will give you more information if this applies to you.

Possible side effects

Your healthcare team will explain what side effects you might have and what you can do to help relieve them. Side effects include:

• cramps in your lower tummy (abdomen) - taking pain relief tablets should help relieve this

• feeling and being sick

• diarrhoea

• vaginal bleeding, that can be heavy

• risk of infection

After the treatment

The clinic staff will give you contact numbers so you can get in touch with them if you have any questions after the treatment.

You might have some vaginal bleeding for up to 3 weeks afterwards. If the bleeding doesn’t stop or gets very heavy, you should contact the clinic staff straight away.

How you might feel

It’s not easy to deal with a molar pregnancy and you might have very strong emotions that feel overwhelming. Your healthcare team will support you and offer some options for counselling and support.

Find out about support for a molar pregnancy

Follow up tests after your treatment

For most women, the treatment removes most of the molar tissue and any remaining cells die off on their own. So you don't need more treatment. But sometimes a few cells can remain in the womb and carry on growing.

You have regular follow up to make sure you have no signs of remaining molar tissue.

Follow up means regular blood or urine tests to check the levels of a hormone called hCG in your blood and urine. If the levels stay high or they go up, you might need to have surgery or chemotherapy treatment.

About 1 out of every 100 women (about 1%) with a partial molar pregnancy will need chemotherapy.

About 13 to 16 out of every 100 women (about 13 to 16%) who have a complete molar pregnancy will need treatment with chemotherapy.

Find out about follow up for molar pregnancy