Metastatic cancer to the stomach.
BACKGROUND
Metastases in the stomach are rare. The increased use of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), associated with better treatment results for malignancies, requires them to be acknowledged. The aim of this study was to describe a series of cases of metastasis to the stomach, their primary sites, clinical and endoscopic features, treatment, and results.


METHODS
Twenty cases were diagnosed between December 1999 and January 2004. Their analysis included symptomatology, macroscopic presentation, time from diagnosis of the primary tumor to the detection of the gastric metastasis, treatment approach, and survival.


RESULTS
The primary sites were the esophagus, skin, lung, cervix, breast, sigmoid colon, and testis. The symptom most frequently requiring EGD was upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Ten patients showed concomitant metastases to other organs. The mean time between diagnosis of the primary tumor and diagnosis of gastric metastasis was 16 months (range, 0 to 56 months). Only seven patients were given some form of treatment after diagnosis of the gastric metastasis. The median survival was 4.75 months. Overall survival during the first year was 20% and survival was nil at 2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Gastric metastasis marks advanced disease and the prognosis is poor. New advances in diagnosis and treatment are required for better results.
Department of Digestive Endoscopy, Araújo Jorge Hospital of the Goiás Anticancer Association, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
Paulo Moacir de Oliveira
PM
Campoli
Flávio Hayato
FH
Ejima
Daniela Medeiros Milhomem
DM
Cardoso
Osterno Queiroz da
OQ
Silva
Jales Benevides
JB
Santana Filho
Paulo Adriano de
PA
Queiroz Barreto
Márcio Martins
MM
Machado
Eliane Duarte
ED
Mota
João Alves
JA
Araujo Filho
Rita de Cássia G
Rde C
Alencar
Orlando Milhomem da
OM
Mota
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D015996:Survival Rate