Incidence and prognostic factors of cranial and spinal choriocarcinomas

Choriocarcinoma is a malignant germ cell tumor. Cranial and spinal lesions of choriocarcinoma are very rare. No large population-based studies have reported on cranial and spinal choriocarcinomas. This study aimed to describe the demographic factors of choriocarcinomas using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.
This study was identified from the SEER database between 1973 and 2019. Histology, age, sex, and tumor location were evaluated. The results were compared with those of the previous studies.
The study comprised 16 patients. The mean age at diagnosis was 14.5 years. Thirteen (81.25%) patients were younger than 18 years. The most common locations of the tumor were the pineal region of the brain (43.75%, 7/16) and the neuroendocrine system (50%, 8/16). No spinal choriocarcinomas were detected.
In conclusion, cranial choriocarcinoma is a rare malignancy that most commonly occurs in the pineal area. Its incidence is high for individuals younger than 18 years.