Breast cancer metastases masquerading as primary gastric carcinoma

Three patients are described in whom primary gastric carcinoma of the limits plastica type was initially diagnosed. All three patients had been treated for breast carcinoma; in two the disease had been bilateral, and in two the gastric tumour was the first manifestation of relapse of that patient's breast carcinoma. The three cases are examples of a pattern of spread particularly likely to occur in infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the breast. The importance of recognizing this is paramount if appropriate therapy is to be given. One of the patients has had an excellent remission on Tamoxifen, another may be showing some response, and the third has commenced treatment with Medroxyprogesterone acetate.