Successful management of stage IV epithelioid trophoblastic tumor using multimodality treatment: A case report

Epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (ETT) is a rare variant of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) that develops from chorionic-type intermediate trophoblast, is more resistant to chemotherapy than choriocarcinoma, and presents with metastatic disease in 25–35% of cases. We report a case of a 32-year-old who presented one week postpartum with severe abdominal pain and was found to have profound anemia and an elevated hCG level. CT scans and MRI revealed bleeding from hepatic masses, multiple hemorrhagic pulmonary nodules, a 7 cm uterine mass, and brain metastases. She underwent emergent hepatic embolization, was started on induction chemotherapy with weekly low-dose etoposide and cisplatin followed by a transition to etoposide, high-dose methotrexate, actinomycin D, etoposide, and cisplatin (HD EMA-EP), received stereotactic brain radiotherapy, and subsequently underwent minimally-invasive hysterectomy. She remains disease free over one year after the completion of treatment. An aggressive multimodal treatment approach employing etoposide/cisplatin-based chemotherapy as well as surgical procedures to control hemorrhage or excise resistant disease, and radiotherapy for brain metastases can result in successful treatment of stage IV ETT.