Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Oct 15, 2026; 18(10): 123542
Published online Oct 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.123542
Published online Oct 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.123542
Marked elevation of alpha fetoprotein caused by hepatoid adenocarcinoma of stomach: A case report
Shi-Yao Sun, Timothy Elliott, Jong-Khen Chin, Sajith K Gangadharan, Department of Gastro
Maddison Johnstone, Matthew Facey, Department of Pathology, Grampians Health, Ballarat 3350, Victoria, Australia
Co-corresponding authors: Shi-Yao Sun and Sajith K Gangadharan.
Author contributions: Sun SY, Elliott T, Chin JK, and Gangadharan SK contributed to manuscript conception, writing and revision of the manuscript; Johnstone M and Facey M performed and interpreted the pathological examinations; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools were used solely for linguistic refinement. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions. The authors carefully reviewed and verified all AI-assisted outputs and take full responsibility for the scientific content of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the deceased patient’s next of kin for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Shi-Yao Sun, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Grampians Health, 1 Drummond St N, Ballarat 3350, Victoria, Australia. sharon.shiyao.sun@gmail.com
Received: May 25, 2026
Revised: July 3, 2026
Accepted: August 5, 2026
Published online: October 15, 2026
Processing time: 118 Days and 22.9 Hours
Revised: July 3, 2026
Accepted: August 5, 2026
Published online: October 15, 2026
Processing time: 118 Days and 22.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: We report a rare case of hepatoid adenocarcinoma (HAC). Markedly elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels should prompt physicians to evaluate for uncommon causes including HAC of stomach. Histology and immunohistochemistry are integral to establishing the diagnosis. Gastroscopy is also a crucial diagnostic step. There is currently no established treatment protocol for HAC of stomach; however, treatment for metastatic gastric cancer has been used. A low serum alpha-fetoprotein level is generally associated with better survival, but long-term studies are required to confirm this.