Synonyms
Diffuse carcinoma; Poorly cohesive carcinoma
Definition
Signet ring cell carcinoma is defined as a tumor composed predominantly (more than 50%) or exclusively of signet ring cells, characterized histologically by cells with a large vacuolated mucinous cytoplasm and an eccentrically placed flattened nucleus.
Various classification schemes for gastric cancer have been proposed; the Laurén and the World Health Organization (WHO) classification systems are the most widely used. Gastric adenocarcinomas are subtyped in the WHO classification based on the predominant morphologic component of the tumor. These subtypes include tubular, papillary, mucinous, poorly cohesive (including signet-ring cell type), and mixed carcinomas. The Laurén scheme separates gastric adenocarcinomas into intestinal, diffuse, and mixed or indeterminate subtypes. Signet ring cell carcinomas are categorized into the diffuse type in the Laurén scheme.
Clinical Features
Incidence
Gastric adenocarcinoma is the...
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References and Further Reading
Allum, W. H., Blazeby, J. M., Griffin, S. M., Cunningham, D., Jankowski, J. A., & Wong, R. (2011). Guidelines for the management of oesophageal and gastric cancer. Gut, 60(11), 1449–1472.
Bosman, F. T., Carneiro, F., Hruban, R. H., & Theise, N. D. (2010). WHO classification of tumours of the digestive system (4th ed.). Lyon: IARC.
Heger, U., Blank, S., Wiecha, C., Langer, R., Weichert, W., Lordick, F., Bruckner, T., Dobritz, M., Burian, M., Springfeld, C., Grenacher, L., Siewert, J. R., Büchler, M., & Ott, K. (2014). Is preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery the appropriate treatment for signet ring cell containing adenocarcinomas of the esophagogastric junction and stomach?
Jiang, C. G., Wang, Z. N., Sun, Z., Liu, F. N., Yu, M., & Xu, H. M. (2011). Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach: Results from a Chinese mono-institutional study. Journal of Surgical Oncology, 103(7), 700–703.
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Lauren, P. (1965). The two histological main types of gastric carcinoma: Diffuse and so-calles intestinal-type carcinoma. An attempt at a histo-clinical classification. Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica, 64, 31–49.
Messager, M., Lefevre, J. H., Pichot-Delahaye, V., Souadka, A., Piessen, G., & Mariette, C. (2011). The impact of perioperative chemotherapy on survival in patients with gastric signet ring cell adenocarcinoma: a multicenter comparative study. Ann Surg, 254, 684–693.
Mimata, A., Fukamachi, H., Eishi, Y., & Yuasa, Y. (2011). Loss of E-cadherin in mouse gastric epithelial cells induces signet ring-like cells, a possible precursor lesion of diffuse gastric cancer. Cancer Science, 102(5), 942–950.
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van der Post, C.R.S., Carneiro, F. (2017). Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma. In: Carneiro, F., Chaves, P., Ensari, A. (eds) Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1681
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1681
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