If gestational trophoblastic disease spreads

Cancer cells can spread from the uterus to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) spreads, it can spread to the following:

  • muscle layer of the uterus (myometrium)
  • vagina
  • spleen
  • kidneys
  • pelvis
  • colon and small intestine
  • lung
  • brain
  • liver

Expert review and references

  • American Society of Clinical Oncology . Gestational Trophoblastic Disease . 2014 .
  • Goldstein DP, Berkowitz RS, Horowitz NS . Gestational trophoblastic diseases. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 75: 1069-1074.
  • National Cancer Institute. Gestational Trophoblastic Disease Cancer Treatment for Health Professionals (PDQ®). 2015: http://www.cancer.gov/.

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