{"id":{"repo_id":"stellenbosch","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132093"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/stellenbosch/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132093","repository":{"repo_id":"stellenbosch","name":"Stellenbosch University","base_url":"https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The effect of human immunodeficiency virus on the clinical course and treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease","abstract":"Objectives: The objective of the study was to describe the HIV-positive patients with gestational trophoblastic disease and to determine whether it is safe to adopt a shorter surveillance strategy in these patients. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study carried out at the Gynaecologic Oncology unit at Tygerberg Hospital. All cases of Gestational trophoblastic disease registered and managed at this unit over a 4-year period from 1st January 2017 to 31st December 2020 were included in the study. Results: Ninety one women were diagnosed with GTD. Fourteen patients were excluded from the analysis. The mean age of the patients was 31.6 years. All patients had a known HIV status, eleven (14.2%) were HIV-positive and sixty-six (85.7%) were HIV-negative. The presenting features did not differ between HIV-positive and negative patients. Histologically, fifteen patients (19.5%) had partial moles and 60 patients (77.8%) had complete moles. There was no difference in type of gestational trophoblastic disease between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients (p=0.343). At 56 days after evacuation of the molar pregnancy, none of the HIV positive patients’ BhCG level was <5mIU/ml. There was a significant difference in the mean time to BhCG< 5mIU/ml between HIV positive and negative women (p=0.009). PTN occurred in 16.9 % (13) of the 77 included women and 9.1% had choriocarcinoma. All persistent disease resolved after chemotherapy. Conclusion: A shorter BhCG follow up time of 6 months post evacuation of a complete molar pregnancy can be adopted in HIV-positive patients. In our study, however, none of the HIV-positive patients met the criteria of BhCG < 5 within 56 days for this shorter follow up to be beneficial. There were not enough HIV-positive patients with partial moles for meaningful analysis. It is essential that all patients be advised to adhere to BhCG follow up, especially in HIV-positive women where the follow up may be lengthy.","abstract_html":"Objectives: The objective of the study was to describe the HIV-positive patients with gestational trophoblastic disease and to determine whether it is safe to adopt a shorter surveillance strategy in these patients. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study carried out at the Gynaecologic Oncology unit at Tygerberg Hospital. All cases of Gestational trophoblastic disease registered and managed at this unit over a 4-year period from 1st January 2017 to 31st December 2020 were included in the study. Results: Ninety one women were diagnosed with GTD. Fourteen patients were excluded from the analysis. The mean age of the patients was 31.6 years. All patients had a known HIV status, eleven (14.2%) were HIV-positive and sixty-six (85.7%) were HIV-negative. The presenting features did not differ between HIV-positive and negative patients. Histologically, fifteen patients (19.5%) had partial moles and 60 patients (77.8%) had complete moles. There was no difference in type of gestational trophoblastic disease between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients (p=0.343). At 56 days after evacuation of the molar pregnancy, none of the HIV positive patients’ BhCG level was &lt;5mIU/ml. There was a significant difference in the mean time to BhCG&lt; 5mIU/ml between HIV positive and negative women (p=0.009). PTN occurred in 16.9 % (13) of the 77 included women and 9.1% had choriocarcinoma. All persistent disease resolved after chemotherapy. Conclusion: A shorter BhCG follow up time of 6 months post evacuation of a complete molar pregnancy can be adopted in HIV-positive patients. In our study, however, none of the HIV-positive patients met the criteria of BhCG &lt; 5 within 56 days for this shorter follow up to be beneficial. There were not enough HIV-positive patients with partial moles for meaningful analysis. It is essential that all patients be advised to adhere to BhCG follow up, especially in HIV-positive women where the follow up may be lengthy.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Burns, Lucinda Carmen"],"institution":"Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Butt, Jennifer"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-03","date_published":"2025-03","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:40:14Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132093","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Butt, Jennifer"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Burns, Lucinda Carmen"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-05-23T07:49:37Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-05-23T07:49:37Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-03"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132093"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (MMed) -- Stellenbosch University, 2025.","Burns, L. 2025. The effect of human immunodeficiency virus on the clinical course and treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/dac1c048-e44e-41b3-ad00-840522f023a9"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Objectives: The objective of the study was to describe the HIV-positive patients with gestational trophoblastic disease and to determine whether it is safe to adopt a shorter surveillance strategy in these patients. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study carried out at the Gynaecologic Oncology unit at Tygerberg Hospital. All cases of Gestational trophoblastic disease registered and managed at this unit over a 4-year period from 1st January 2017 to 31st December 2020 were included in the study. Results: Ninety one women were diagnosed with GTD. Fourteen patients were excluded from the analysis. The mean age of the patients was 31.6 years. All patients had a known HIV status, eleven (14.2%) were HIV-positive and sixty-six (85.7%) were HIV-negative. The presenting features did not differ between HIV-positive and negative patients. Histologically, fifteen patients (19.5%) had partial moles and 60 patients (77.8%) had complete moles. There was no difference in type of gestational trophoblastic disease between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients (p=0.343). At 56 days after evacuation of the molar pregnancy, none of the HIV positive patients’ BhCG level was <5mIU/ml. There was a significant difference in the mean time to BhCG< 5mIU/ml between HIV positive and negative women (p=0.009). PTN occurred in 16.9 % (13) of the 77 included women and 9.1% had choriocarcinoma. All persistent disease resolved after chemotherapy. Conclusion: A shorter BhCG follow up time of 6 months post evacuation of a complete molar pregnancy can be adopted in HIV-positive patients. In our study, however, none of the HIV-positive patients met the criteria of BhCG < 5 within 56 days for this shorter follow up to be beneficial. There were not enough HIV-positive patients with partial moles for meaningful analysis. It is essential that all patients be advised to adhere to BhCG follow up, especially in HIV-positive women where the follow up may be lengthy."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The effect of human immunodeficiency virus on the clinical course and treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Butt, Jennifer"],"dc:contributor.other":["Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology."],"dc:creator":["Burns, Lucinda Carmen"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-05-23T07:49:37Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-05-23T07:49:37Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-03"],"dc:description":["Thesis (MMed) -- Stellenbosch University, 2025.","Burns, L. 2025. The effect of human immunodeficiency virus on the clinical course and treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/dac1c048-e44e-41b3-ad00-840522f023a9"],"dc:description.abstract":["Objectives: The objective of the study was to describe the HIV-positive patients with gestational trophoblastic disease and to determine whether it is safe to adopt a shorter surveillance strategy in these patients. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study carried out at the Gynaecologic Oncology unit at Tygerberg Hospital. All cases of Gestational trophoblastic disease registered and managed at this unit over a 4-year period from 1st January 2017 to 31st December 2020 were included in the study. Results: Ninety one women were diagnosed with GTD. Fourteen patients were excluded from the analysis. The mean age of the patients was 31.6 years. All patients had a known HIV status, eleven (14.2%) were HIV-positive and sixty-six (85.7%) were HIV-negative. The presenting features did not differ between HIV-positive and negative patients. Histologically, fifteen patients (19.5%) had partial moles and 60 patients (77.8%) had complete moles. There was no difference in type of gestational trophoblastic disease between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients (p=0.343). At 56 days after evacuation of the molar pregnancy, none of the HIV positive patients’ BhCG level was <5mIU/ml. There was a significant difference in the mean time to BhCG< 5mIU/ml between HIV positive and negative women (p=0.009). PTN occurred in 16.9 % (13) of the 77 included women and 9.1% had choriocarcinoma. All persistent disease resolved after chemotherapy. Conclusion: A shorter BhCG follow up time of 6 months post evacuation of a complete molar pregnancy can be adopted in HIV-positive patients. In our study, however, none of the HIV-positive patients met the criteria of BhCG < 5 within 56 days for this shorter follow up to be beneficial. There were not enough HIV-positive patients with partial moles for meaningful analysis. It is essential that all patients be advised to adhere to BhCG follow up, especially in HIV-positive women where the follow up may be lengthy."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132093"],"dc:publisher":["Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University"],"dc:title":["The effect of human immunodeficiency virus on the clinical course and treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:40:14Z"}