Metastasis to the stomach: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Medical Literature Review

Background:

• Gastric metastases (GM) are secondary malignancies in the stomach originating from a distant primary tumor.
• Understanding the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of GM is crucial for clinical management.
• This review consolidates existing literature on GM to aid clinicians.

Approach:

• A systematic literature review was conducted using MEDLINE and Cochrane databases up to May 2022.
• Included were English-language articles detailing hematogenous and lymphogenic gastric metastases.
• Excluded were non-English articles, letters, posters, clinical images, direct tumoral invasion, and seeding.

Key Points:

• 170 articles comprising 186 patients with GM were analyzed.
• Gynecologic cancers were the most frequent primary source (67 patients), followed by lung (33) and renal (20) cancers.
• Resection surgery (62 patients), chemotherapy (78 patients), and immunotherapy (10 patients) were the primary treatment modalities.

Conclusions:

• The review highlights heterogeneity in case reports, with some lacking complete clinical or follow-up data.
• Resection surgery, often combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy, was the most frequently reported intervention.
• Further research is essential to establish evidence-based treatment guidelines for optimal patient outcomes in gastric metastases.