If your hCG levels drop back down to normal, it means there’s no more molar tissue left and you’re in the clear. But if it climbs, this is a sign that the tissue is still present and growing, and has turned cancerous. You’re then referred to Sheffield or Charing Cross for chemotherapy.

“For the majority of molar pregnancies… the []surgery] is enough to remove that tissue. No further treatment other than monitoring is needed,” says Rollins. Of the roughly 700 cases sent to Sheffield each year, around 30-40 will need chemo. Mercifully, this cancer has a 100% cure rate, she explains.

It’s a lot to process for someone who’s just lost their pregnancy. A 2018 review of scientific studies found that women with molar pregnancies had significant levels of anxiety, mostly due to fear of getting cancer and uncertainties around being able to get pregnant again. National guidance notes that healthcare staff should offer bereavement support and ongoing help to navigate molar pregnancy. Yet a 2023 Governmental review on baby loss found that emotional care provided varies hugely between clinics.

“I thought I was pregnant – it turned out to be a molar pregnancy tumour”