Gestational Choriocarcinoma: A Timely Review of Diagnostic Pathology

Gestational choriocarcinoma is the most common form of gestational trophoblastic neoplasm. It is characterized by aggressive, destructive growth and a marked tendency for hematogenous spread, leading to high mortality if left untreated. However, with the advent of effective clinical treatment for postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasms in recent decades, the clinicopathologic presentation of gestational choriocarcinoma has significantly changed. Today, it more frequently presents at extrauterine sites and/or in an unexpected manner, posing considerable diagnostic challenges for pathologists. Nonetheless, prompt and accurate pathologic diagnosis remains essential for effective clinical management and optimal patient outcomes.

To review the clinical features and pathologic diagnosis of gestational choriocarcinoma, including its early manifestations.

This review is based on literature and the author's personal diagnostic experience.

In the era of precision medicine, gestational choriocarcinoma has become a rare encounter, largely owing to the implementation of postmolar surveillance programs and timely initiation of chemotherapy. Diagnostic recognition of the tumor requires a high index of suspicion, familiarity with its histologic features and early forms, awareness of the unexpected extrauterine presentations, and appropriate use of immunohistochemical and molecular biomarkers. These tools are essential in distinguishing gestational choriocarcinoma from nongestational mimics of germ cell or somatic origin, which have profound therapeutic and prognostic implications.