EPIDEMIOLOGY AND TIME TRENDS OF GESTATIONAL TROPHOBLASTIC DISEASE IN KOREA

Objectives: For the purpose of determining the annual incidence and ti me trends of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), the medical reco rds from 24 university hospitals, 13 private general hospitals and the Korean Research institute of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (KRI-T RD) were analyzed from 1971 to 1995. Materials & Results: From a total of 7198 GTD cases (H-mole = 3831, Invasive mole = 2163, Choriocarcino ma = 1177, PSTT = 27) among 838659 deliveries between 1971 and 1995, t he hospital-based incidence of H-mole per 1000 deliveries declined fro m 40.2 during 1971-975, to 2.3 during 1991-995. The population-based i ncidence of H-mole, hwoever, revealed an average of 2.05 per 1000 deli veries during 1991-995. Old age and gravidities as factors in GTD pati ents both decreased significantly during the study period. Time trends for the incidence of GTD in Korea revealed significant changes, not o nly a decrease in the incidence of GTD, but also an improvement in the annual remission rate. Korea's socio-eonomic improvement in recent de cades also contributed to the decreased incidence of GTD and the incre ased survival rates.