Salvage liver surgery of a chemorefractory ovarian choriocarcinoma

A 41-year-old woman with pure ovarian choriocarcinoma and widespread liver metastases became refractory to standard cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens. As metastatic disease was limited to the liver and operable, the patient underwent complete resection of three liver metastases. The serum human chorionic gonadotrophin level promptly returned to normal values. Pathologic studies demonstrated the presence of active residual disease composed of typical syncytiotrophoblastic and cytotrophoblastic cells and large mononucleated intermediate cells. The patient remained disease-free for more than 5 years after treatment. It is concluded that liver salvage surgery may cure patients with chemorefractory ovarian choriocarcinoma with metastases to the liver.