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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2006; 12(45): 7326-7328
Published online Dec 7, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i45.7326
Metastatic tumors to the stomach: Clinical and endoscopic features
Giovanni D De Palma, Stefania Masone, Maria Rega, Immacolata Simeoli, Mario Donisi, Pietro Addeo, Loredana Iannone, Vincenzo Pilone, Giovanni Persico
Giovanni D De Palma, Stefania Masone, Maria Rega, Immacolata Simeoli, Mario Donisi, Pietro Addeo, Loredana Iannone, Vincenzo Pilone, Giovanni Persico, Centro per l’Innovazione Tecnologica in Chirurgia Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale, Oncologica e Tecnologie Avanzate. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Napoli, Italy
Correspondence to: Dott. Giovanni D De Palma, Centro per l’Innovazione Tecnologica in Chirurgia, Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale, Oncologica e Tecnologie Avanzate. Università degli Studi di Napoli FedericoII- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Via Pansini, 5. Napoli 80131, Italy. giovanni.depalma@unina.it
Telephone: +39-81-7462773 Fax: +39-81-7462773
Received: September 23, 2006
Revised: September 28, 2006
Accepted: October 30, 2006
Published online: December 7, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the clinical and endoscopic patterns in a large series of patients with metastatic tumors in the stomach.

METHODS: A total of 64 patients with gastric meta-stases from solid malignant tumors were retros-pectively examined between 1990 and 2005. The clinicopathological findings were reviewed along with tumor characteristics such as endoscopic pattern, location, size and origin of the primary sites.

RESULTS: Common indications for endoscopy were anemia, bleeding and epigastric pain. Metastases presented as solitary (62.5%) or multiple (37.5%) tumors were mainly located in the middle or upper third of stomach. The main primary metastatic tumors were from breast and lung cancer and malignant melanoma.

CONCLUSION: As the prognosis of cancer patients has been improving gradually, gastrointestinal (GI) metastases will be encountered more often. Endoscopic examinations should be conducted carefully in patients with malignancies, and endoscopic biopsies and information on the patient’s clinical history are useful for correct diagnosis of gastric metastases.

Keywords: Stomach; Metastatic tumors; Clinical findings; Pathology; Endoscopy