Hydatidiform Mole Follow-Up
The service, performed by the Immunodiagnostics Group based in the Department of Immunology Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, provides follow-up to women who have been treated for a molar pregnancy.
The reasons for molar pregnancy remain unclear, but it is thought that a problem at the point of fertilisation causes a series of cysts to develop instead of a foetus. Follow-up involves the diagnosis and registration of women in Scotland presenting with a molar pregnancy. Monitoring of these women involves measurement of levels of human chorionic gonadatrophin (hCG) in sequential urine samples until normal levels are reached. Continued raised levels of hCG in non-pregnant women can suggest a disease recurrence or the onset of choriocarcinoma, a cancer of the placenta which occurs in around 10% of cases.
This is part of a UK-wide service, with other centres at Charing Cross Hospital in London and the Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield. The Immunodiagnostics Group also manufacture and distribute iodinated hCG to all centres. Treatment for choriocarcinoma is provided at Charing Cross and the Ninewells based service co-ordinates this care for residents of NHS Scotland.
Annual Report
The most recent annual report for Hydatidiform Mole follow up is available below:
Scottish Hydatidiform Mole follow up annual report 2009/10 [7 pages, 146Kb]
Lead clinician:
Dr Patrick Chien (Consultant Director)
Service contact address:
NHS Tayside
Ninewells Hospital and Medical School
Dundee
DD1 9SY
National Services Division contacts:
To contact members of NSD staff, please visit our staff contacts page.
Isabel Gavin, Programme Manager
Tracey Curtis, Assistant Programme Manager
Carol Woods, Programme Support Officer
