Frequently Asked Questions   /   Types of Cancer   /   Gynecologic Cancers   /   General Concerns

Normal pregnancy after having a molar pregnancy

Print PDF

Stephen C. Rubin, MD
Last Modified: July 14, 2002

Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
My question is in respect to having a normal pregnancy after having a molar pregnancy and choriocarcinoma, have you had any patients in your practice that have had a normal pregnancy after all this. Also what are my chances?  

Stephen C. Rubin, MD, Professor and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, responds:

Molar pregnancy and gestational choriocarcinoma are unusual tumors of the placenta, occurring in about 1 in 1500 live births in this country. Many of these tumors can be cured without chemotherapy, and even those that have recurred or spread are often completely curable with chemotherapy. The risk of a molar pregnancy in a subsequent pregnancy is only about 1.5%; so most women who have had them go on to have normal pregnancies.