Gastric cancer with calcifications: A case report

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• Mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC) is a rare subtype of gastric cancer.
• Calcifications are a distinctive feature of MGC, uncommon in other gastric carcinoma types.
• This report focuses on the imaging and histopathological characteristics of MGC with calcifications.

Observation:

• A patient presented with advanced MGC (T4N+M1) exhibiting diffuse gastric wall thickening and punctate calcifications on CT.
• Metastases to lymph nodes and peritoneal seeding were observed.
• Histopathology confirmed poorly differentiated calcified signet-ring cell gastric cancer.

Findings:

• Chemotherapy, including docetaxel, cisplatin, fluorouracil, irinotecan, S-1, and PD-1 inhibitors, was administered over nine cycles.
• Follow-up CT scans revealed a continuous increase in gastric wall calcifications during treatment.
• The patient survived for nearly one year after diagnosis and treatment initiation.

Implications:

• The study describes the imaging features of MGC and the evolution of calcifications during chemotherapy.
• Understanding these calcification patterns may aid in MGC diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of calcification and its clinical significance in MGC.