Open AccessClinical pathology of metastatic gastric carcinoma to the breast: A report of two cases and a review of literature
Author(s) -
Tian Qing,
Jinsheng Zeng,
Tao Xueqin,
Zhanmin Zhang,
Xiaodong Zhou,
Yi-Ting Wang
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
oncology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1792-1082
pISSN - 1792-1074
DOI - 10.3892/ol.2016.4350
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , metastatic breast cancer , cancer , modified radical mastectomy , metastatic carcinoma , pathology , adenocarcinoma , metastasis , signet ring cell , signet ring cell carcinoma , breast carcinoma , ca15 3 , carcinoma , invasive lobular carcinoma , stomach , pathological , oncology , radiology , mastectomy , invasive ductal carcinoma
The breast is an unusual site for metastasis from a gastric carcinoma. The present study reports two cases of metastatic gastric carcinoma to the breast. The first patient, a 37-year-old woman, initially presented with gastric adenocarcinoma, prior to developing metastatic cancer to the breast 4 years later. The second female patient presented with a breast mass, and a modified radical mastectomy was performed; however, the subsequent pathological examination revealed the mass to be a metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a diffuse gastric wall thickening that was consistent with gastric cancer. The findings suggest that immunohistochemistry is a useful tool to differentiate between primary breast tumors and gastrointestinal carcinomas that have metastasized to the breast. Additional studies are required in order to define the optimal treatment.