Gastric carcinoma diagnosed at the third trimester: a case report

Gastric carcinoma associated with pregnancy appears to be an extremely rare entity. It is usually diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease and presents a grave prognosis. Since the fatal outcome shows a rapid course within months of diagnosis, prompt gastroduodenal endoscopic examination following early clinical suspicion is mandatory. A case of 29 year-old pregnant woman with 31 weeks of gestation is herein presented. The women was diagnosed as gastric adenocarcinoma while being investigated for intractable nausea, vomiting, and a concomitant epigastric mass. She underwent radical gastric resection and received six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy following vaginal delivery of a healthy 1950 g fetus. The patient was dead 20 weeks after the surgery due to pulmonary and hepatic metastasis.