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Breast cancer masquerading as a primary gastric carcinoma

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Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery

Abstract

The differentiation between primary gastric cancer and a metastatic breast tumor to the stomach is important for planning of treatment and to spare the patient unnecessary surgery. We report a rare case of breast cancer with metastasis to the stomach. The diagnosis was established by histologic and immuno-histochemical analyses of biopsies of the stomach lesion using gross cystic disease fluid protein-15, cytokeratin, carcinoembryonic antigen, and epithelial membrane antigen. Positivity for gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 with negative staining for carcinoembryonic antigen supported the diagnosis of a breast cancer metastasis. The patient was treated with systemic chemotherapy without surgery and is still alive 2 years after initial referral for a gastric neoplasm.

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Tremblay, F., Jamison, B. & Meterissian, S. Breast cancer masquerading as a primary gastric carcinoma. J Gastrointest Surg 6, 614–616 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1091-255X(01)00006-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1091-255X(01)00006-3

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