title: Primary choriocarcinoma of the lung: report of a case treated with intensive multimodality therapy and review of the literature.
abstract: Primary choriocarcinomas of the lung are extremely rare. Like choriocarcinomas elsewhere, they possess rapid growth ability and a high propensity to metastasize. There is minimal information available on the treatment of lung choriocarcinoma. In the case reported herein, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion, etoposide, and cisplatin induced a partial response permitting complete excision of a massive tumor of the right upper lobe involving the chest wall and superior vena cava. The patient relapsed with a metastasis to the brain that was surgically excised. Contralateral lung metastases were soon noted and responded well to systemic chemotherapy; yet the patient died of a new brain metastasis. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a primary choriocarcinoma of the lung treated with intensive multimodality therapy. The latter seems to offer a potential benefit if certain guidelines are followed.
authors.affiliation: Pananicolaou Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami School of Medicine, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Florida.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Sridhar
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Saldana
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Thurer
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Beattie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil