The use of taxanes in choriocarcinoma; a case report and review of the literature

A poor prognostic male choriocarcinoma with multiple systemic metastases: a case report and the literature review

Background

Non-gestational choriocarcinoma, also known as primary choriocarcinoma, is extremely rare in men, manifesting with specific signs such as breast feminization, testicular atrophy, and loss of libido. The presentation typically includes elevated serum β-hCG levels, widespread metastatic disease, and a rapid progression of the condition.

Case report

We present a rare case of a 41-year-old man diagnosed with choriocarcinoma, exhibiting a unique combination of multiple metastases, including lung, brain, bone, and retroperitoneal lymph node metastases, as confirmed by 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging. The patient was treated with aggressive chemotherapy and pembrolizumab, and the prognosis remained poor. The patient's overall survival was a mere 5 months following diagnosis.

Conclusion

Non-gestational choriocarcinoma represents a rare entity in clinical practice and should be considered in young men presenting with gynaecomastia and elevated β-hCG levels alongside normal gonads. Thus, we advocate for a more comprehensive inquiry into medical history and a systematic examination. The 18F-FDG PET/CT examination not only visually delineates the lesion's location and extent but also serves as a cornerstone for clinical tumor staging, providing valuable support for treatment monitoring and subsequent follow-up.

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia management: an update

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia represents the malignant end of the gestational trophoblastic disease spectrum. This review updates readers on developments in the management of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia over the past few years.

RECENT FINDINGS

Progress has been made in elucidating the genetic changes that give rise to gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. The importance of accurate human chorionic gonadotrophin monitoring and the types of human chorionic gonadotrophin produced in cancer are also topical. Fortunately, most patients are cured with chemotherapy, and the choice of treatment schedule according to low-risk and high-risk prognostic groups is relatively unchanged. Indeed, most patients with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia are treated with single agent chemotherapy, and those who have high-risk disease with combination chemotherapy using etoposide, methotrexate and actinomycin D, alternating with cyclophosphamide and oncovine. For resistant disease, new paclitaxel-containing regimens appear better tolerated than etoposide and cisplatin alternating weekly with etoposide, methotrexate and actinomycin D.

SUMMARY

Prognosis in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia is now excellent following treatment. Virtually all patients with low-risk disease are cured, and survival is now 86% in high-risk patients. Optimization of treatment strategies for those who develop drug resistance remains a key challenge.

Metastatic choriocarcinoma successfully treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin after interstitial lung disease induced by EMA-CO

BACKGROUND

Well-established first-line chemotherapy (such as EMA-CO) is extraordinary active for gestational choriocarcinoma. However, it causes very serious situation once drug-induced acute interstitial lung disease occurs during the treatment.

CASE

A 31-year-old Japanese woman with metastatic choriocarcinoma was treated with EMA-CO as an initial chemotherapy regimen for seven cycles. Her beta-hCG dropped from 13,087 ng/ml to 2.2 ng/ml. At 11 days after 7th cycle of EMA-CO treatment, however, she developed respiratory failure, and was diagnosed as having EMA-CO-induced interstitial lung disease with bilateral ground-glass opacity on CT scan, and the examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. After high-dose steroid therapy, symptoms and ground-glass opacity on CT scan were remarkably improved. She then commenced a regimen of carboplatin (AUC 5) and paclitaxel (180 mg/m2). After completing 8 cycles, her beta-hCG dropped to <0.2 ng/ml. Three additional cycles were administered and the patient remained clinically free of disease, with normal beta-hCG levels for 11 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Paclitaxel and carboplatin combination is active and appears to be a viable alternative to EMA-CO combination chemotherapy in metastatic choriocarcinoma even after EMA-CO-induced interstitial lung disease.

Evolution of treatment of high-risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumors: Ain Shams University experience

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the different treatment modalities used in the management of high-risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumors (GTT) between June 1992 and December 2004 at the Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Ain Shams University. Out of 261 patients diagnosed and treated for GTT, 70 (26.8%) were high risk metastatic patients based on the National Institutes of Health clinical classification. The mean age was 29.39 +/- 9.38 years (16-55 years), with six patients (8.6%) being older than 39 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 79.74 +/- 40.44 months (6-157 months). Forty patients (57.14%) were diagnosed after molar pregnancy, 22 (31.43%) after abortion, and 8 (11.43%) after term pregnancy. Forty-two patients (60%) were diagnosed within 4 months of the occurrence of the disease, and 28 (40%) were diagnosed after more than 4 months. Sixty-seven patients were treated using different regimens according to the protocol of treatment at that time. The MAC regimen was used initially but has been subsequently abandoned in favor of EMA-CO (etoposide, methotrexate, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine [Oncovin]) regimen, which was later modified by omitting the CO arm to decrease its toxicity. If resistance developed, platinum-based therapy was given in the form of EMA-EP. Recently, our unit incorporated paclitaxel in the third-line treatment. Surgical intervention was used selectively. Fifty-seven (81.4%) patients could be cured; 43 by initial chemotherapy, with a mean of 7 +/- 0.46 courses (6-15), and 14 were salvaged by second- or third-line chemotherapy. Fourteen patients (20%) died during the study period; one was unrelated to GTT, while three died of acute respiratory distress syndrome before instituting proper therapy and two died of treatment complications. Using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, the presence of brain and/or liver metastases was found to be the worst prognostic variable affecting the survival, followed by resistance to combination chemotherapy and then the type of antecedent pregnancy. The projected 5-year survival as estimated by Kaplan-Meier method was 78%.

Choriocarcinoma and gestational trophoblastic disease

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) encompasses a unique group of uncommon but interrelated conditions derived from placental trophoblasts. For the purposes of discussion GTD is the appropriate collective name for hydatidiform mole, whereas the term gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is reserved for cases with persistent human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) titer elevation after evacuation of hydatidiform mole, metastatic disease, or choriocarcinoma. Although the pathology and clinical behavior of CM and PM are different, the initial management of both conditions is surgical evacuation by suction curettage, determination of the baseline, and follow-up with (hCG) titers. There are guidelines for risk-factor scoring and a staging system that classifies untreated patients into distinct prognostic categories so that treatment outcomes can be objectively compared. The rates of GTN and choriocarcinoma are decreasing and survival has dramatically improved.