title: Gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma and familial investigation: does it always produce alpha-fetoprotein?
abstract: We present the case of a 68-year-old Caucasian man with gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma without increased levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the serum. The patient had a strong history of gastric cancer in his family, affecting seven members, including a brother and a sister. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy, but 4 months later presented hepatic metastases, and 6 months after the initial diagnosis he succumbed to the disease. Immunohistochemical tests showed that the tumour was positive for AFP, hepatocyte paraffin 1, and neuron-specific enolase, but negative for synaptophysin and chromogranin. Previously reported cases of hepatoid gastric tumours showed that they produce large amounts of AFP and that they have a poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, The Athens General Hospital 'G Gennimatas', Greece. vtrompetas@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trompetas
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Varsamidakis
authors.forename: Konstantina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frangia
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polimeropoulos
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalokairinos
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase