Treatment options for molar pregnancy

A molar pregnancy occurs when the fertilisation of the egg by the sperm goes wrong. This leads to the growth of abnormal cells or clusters of water filled sacs inside the womb. Molar pregnancies are not cancer (they are benign). There is a very small risk that the molar cells could become cancerous if they are not all removed. 

There are different treatments available to remove a molar pregnancy.

Surgery for molar pregnancy

Most women have surgery under general anaesthetic to remove the molar tissue from the womb. You might have one of the following operations:

• dilatation and suction evacuation (D and E) – your surgeon uses a thin tube to gently suck out the molar tissue
• dilatation and curettage (D and C) – your surgeon uses an instrument called a curette to scrape away the molar tissue
• removal of your womb (hysterectomy)

There are different types of hysterectomy. Your surgeon will explain your operation to you in more detail. For most women, surgery removes all of the molar tissue. You don’t normally need any more treatment.

Drug treatment to remove molar tissue

Some women who have a molar pregnancy have drug treatment. This treatment makes the womb contract and removes the abnormal cells. This is called medical management or medical evacuation.

Follow up

Following treatment, your healthcare team will keep a very close eye on the levels of a hormone called hCG in your blood and urine. Your doctors use this to decide if you need extra treatment.

Your blood and urine tests are checked at specialist hospitals. These hospitals are in London, Sheffield and Dundee. Molar pregnancies are very rare. So it makes sense for the experts treating them to be based in a few specialist centres.