What is gestational choriocarcinoma?

➢ Choriocarcinoma, a very aggressive malignant tumor, arises from gestational chorionic epithelium or, less frequently, from totipotential cells within the gonads (as a germ cell tumor). ➢ They are rare tumors. ➢ Approximately 50% of choriocarcinomas arise from complete hydatidiform moles. ➢ About 25% arise after an abortion. ➢ The remainder manifest following an apparently normal pregnancy. ➢ In most cases, choriocarcinoma presents as a bloody, brownish discharge accompanied by a rising titer of β-hCG in blood and urine, in the absence of marked uterine enlargement, such as would be seen with a mole. ➢ In general, the β-hCG titers are much higher than those associated with a mole