choriocarcinoma /kôr′ē·ōkär′sinō″mə/ pl. choriocarcinomas, choriocarcinomata, an epithelial malignancy of fetal origin that develops from the chorionic portion of the products of conception. Also called chorioepithelioma, chorionic carcinoma, chorionic epithelioma. ▪ OBSERVATIONS: The primary tumor usually appears in the uterus as a soft, dark red, crumbling mass, may invade and destroy the uterine wall, and may metastasize through lymph or blood vessels, forming secondary hemorrhagic and necrotic tumors in the vaginal wall, vulva, lymph nodes, lungs, liver, and brain. The urine often contains much more chorionic gonadotropin than is expected in pregnancy. ▪ INTERVENTIONS: This form of cancer, which is more common in older women, responds to chemotherapy with cytotoxic drugs such as methotrexate. Rarely, a choriocarcinoma may arise in a teratoma of the testis, mediastinum, or pineal gland; chemotherapy is usually ineffective in treating these tumors. ▪ PATIENT CARE CONSIDERATIONS: The cure rate for women is very high if the disease is diagnosed early.
