Rapid recurrence of primary gastric choriocarcinoma after complete resection

INTRODUCTION: Primary gastric choriocarcinoma (PGC) is a rare and rapidly invasive tumor. We report a case of PGC diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy and treated with gastrectomy and chemotherapy. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 78-year-old man was referred to our hospital because esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a tumor at the fornix of the stomach. Pathologic examination of biopsy specimens revealed choriocarcinoma. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed no enlarged abdominal lymph nodes or distant metastases. Robot-assisted total gastrectomy with spleen-preserving D2 lymphadenectomy was performed on the basis of a diagnosis of cT2N0M0, stage cIB PGC. The pathologic diagnosis was pT2, ly0, v1, pN0, PM0, DM0, stage pIB PGC. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was followed carefully without adjuvant chemotherapy. Three months after gastrectomy, blood tests indicated that serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) levels had increased, and CT revealed multiple liver metastases. The patient underwent a standard nongestational choriocarcinoma chemotherapy regimen with etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine. Although β-hCG levels temporarily decreased with chemotherapy, the patient experienced tumor recurrence with ascites and his serological test demonstrated an elevated level of β-hCG (120 ng/mL). The patient died 10 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: We report a case of stage pIB PGC with poor prognosis, recurring at only 3 months postoperatively despite curative surgery and chemotherapy.