Clinical and Endoscopic Features of Metastatic Tumors in the Stomach.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Metastasis to the stomach is rare. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the clinical outcomes of cancers that metastasized to the stomach.

METHODS

We reviewed the clinicopathological aspects of patients with gastric metastases from solid organ tumors. Thirty-seven cases were identified, and we evaluated the histology, initial presentation, imaging findings, lesion locations, treatment courses, and overall patient survival.

RESULTS

Endoscopic findings indicated that solitary lesions presented more frequently than multiple lesions and submucosal tumor-like tumors were the most common appearance. Malignant melanoma was the tumor that most frequently metastasized to the stomach. Twelve patients received treatments after the diagnosis of gastric metastasis. The median survival period from the diagnosis of gastric metastasis was 3.0 months (interquartile range, 1.0 to 11.0 months). Patients with solitary lesions and patients who received any treatments survived longer after the diagnosis of metastatic cancer than patients with multiple lesions and patients who did not any receive any treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Proper treatment with careful consideration of the primary tumor characteristics can increase the survival period in patients with tumors that metastasize to the stomach, especially in cases with solitary metastatic lesions in endoscopic findings.