[Gastric metastasis of breast carcinoma]

Although distal dissemination from breast cancer is commonly found in bones, lungs, liver and brain, others less common sites have been occasionally reported. A 60 year-old woman with long standing disseminated breast cancer disease was admitted to our hospital with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. At endoscopy, an abnormal area was seen in the lesser curvature of the stomach. Invasion of the gastric wall by metastases from carcinoma of the breast was diagnosed in the biopsy. No further treatment was warranted and the patient died soon thereafter. Gastric metastases are primarily located in the submucosa and muscular layers of the stomach. Lack of mucosal involvement suggests a blood-borne spread. Although our patient had no progesterone receptors in the primary breast tumor, previous studies have suggested that the presence of receptors may facilitate gastrointestinal spread. Gastric metastases from extraintestinal cancers may be asymptomatic, and are usually late events in the progression of the disease.