title: Coexistence of gastric adenocarcinoma and choriocarcinoma: complete response to trastuzumab and chemotherapy.
abstract: Gastric choriocarcinoma is a rare neoplasm and usually accompanies gastric adenocarcinoma. The prognosis is poor due to the aggressive course of the disease. A 57-year-old female patient with weight loss and abdominal pain was examined. The patient was operated following the examination, and pathological analysis revealed the presence of a gastric adenocarcinoma associated with choriocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a positive reaction with antibodies to beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and overexpression of the cErbB2 proto-oncogene. Staging revealed multiple metastases in the liver. A complete response was obtained with a combination of trastuzumab and chemotherapy. The diagnosis of gastric choriocarcinomas without pathological examination is difficult due to their rare occurrence. A complete response can be obtained with trastuzumab in the treatment of cases with overexpression of the cErbB2 protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seyda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.forename: Gulsum Ozlem
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Elpek
authors.forename: Mukremin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: Sema Sezgin
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Goksu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatli
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Hasan Senol
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bozcuk
authors.forename: Burhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Savas
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozdogan
keywords: Gastric choriocarcinoma; Trastuzumab; cErbB2