The Importance of Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG)

The level of the hCG will come to be something of importance to women who have had a molar pregnancy evacuated.

In normal pregnancies and in all cases of molar pregnancy, the cells make the pregnancy test hormone hCG. This is why women with molar pregnancies have a positive pregnancy test despite not having a normal pregnancy.

Measuring the level of hCG after the evacuation of the molar pregnancy allows the surveillance team to follow exactly what is happening with any molar pregnancy cells left in the uterus. The rising or falling level of hCG in the blood corresponds to the increase or decrease in the number of cells left in the uterus. If the level of hCG is falling then no treatment is needed, if the level is static or rising then the number of abnormal cells is increasing and additional treatment is generally needed.

In the UK all women who have a molar pregnancy are enrolled into a follow-up programme based on repeated hCG measurements. This allows the medical team to monitor the women in order to identify those whom the problem is resolving on its own and to intervene where monitoring indicates the cells are growing.

<< Previous Page – Next Page >>