Incidental Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma: A Call for an Aggressive Approach.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a poorly prognostic gastric cancer subtype.
• Early-stage SRCC generally has a better prognosis.
• Incidental SRCC diagnosis requires further outcome investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with incidental signet ring cell carcinoma.
• To determine the prognosis of early SRCC detected incidentally.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series approach was employed.
• 900 patient medical charts with SRCC were screened.
• Incidental SRCC was defined as diagnosis from non-lesion-targeted biopsies.

Main Results:

• Six patients with incidental SRCC underwent gastrectomy.
• Five patients had early SRCC foci without lymphovascular invasion.
• No deaths or recurrences were observed during a median 4.2-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Incidental gastric SRCC, particularly early-stage, offers a favorable prognosis.
• An aggressive surgical strategy is recommended for incidental gastric SRCC.
• Long-term survival is achievable for selected patients with incidental SRCC.