What is hCG and how is it measured?
In all cases of molar pregnancy and the other forms of trophoblast disease the hCG level is important for making the diagnosis and for monitoring treatment. The abbreviation hCG is short for human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, the pregnancy test hormone that is detected in home pregnancy tests. In pregnancy (normal and molar) when the egg is fertilised it starts to make hCG and then as the pregnancy develops the trophoblast/placental cells take over making hCG. After a molar pregnancy the level of the hCG gives an accurate measure of the number of abnormal cells left and a rising hCG level after the evacuation is a pointer that further treatment is likely to be needed.
