Case Report
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World J Gastrointest Surg. Aug 27, 2010; 2(8): 270-274
Published online Aug 27, 2010. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v2.i8.270
Endobronchial metastasis from adenocarcinoma of gastric cardia 7 years after potentially curable resection
Takaaki Hanyu, Tatsuo Kanda, Atsushi Matsuki, Go Hasegawa, Kazuhito Yajima, Masanori Tsuchida, Shin-ichi Kosugi, Makoto Naito, Katsuyoshi Hatakeyama
Takaaki Hanyu, Tatsuo Kanda, Atsushi Matsuki, Kazuhito Yajima, Shin-ichi Kosugi, Katsuyoshi Hatakeyama, Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Asahimachi-dori 1-757, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
Go Hasegawa, Makoto Naito, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Asahimachi-dori 1-757, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
Masanori Tsuchida, Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Asahimachi-dori 1-757, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
Author contributions: Hanyu T and Kanda T drafted the manuscript; Kanda T, Matsuki A, Yajima K and Kosugi S were responsible for the patient management; Kanda T and Matsuki A were involved in follow-up of the patient; Tsuchida M played a central role in surgery of the lung tumor; Hasegawa G and Naito M made a great contribution to pathological diagnosis; Hatakeyama K coordinated the research group and supervised this study.
Correspondence to: Tatsuo Kanda, MD, PhD, Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Asahimachi-dori 1-757, Niigata 951-8510, Japan. kandat@med.niigata-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-25-2272228 Fax: +81-25-2270779
Received: February 2, 2010
Revised: June 25, 2010
Accepted: July 2, 2010
Published online: August 27, 2010
Abstract

Endobronchial metastasis (EBM) is a rare form of metastasis from extrapulmonary malignant tumors, although there are few reports of EBM from gastric cancer specifically. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman who had undergone gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer seven years previously but was diagnosed with a solitary lung tumor by follow-up computed tomography. On diagnosis of primary lung cancer, she underwent pulmonary lobectomy, but immunohistochemical examination confirmed the resected tumor to be an EBM from the gastric cancer. Six months later, she was diagnosed with peritoneal metastases and underwent chemotherapy with gastric cancer regimen. She is still alive at 33 mo after the lobectomy. Generally, the prognosis for EBM is poor although multidisciplinary treatment can lead to long-term survival. Precise diagnosis on the basis of detailed pathological and immunohistochemical evaluation can contribute to deciding the most effective treatment and improving prognosis.

Keywords: Endobronchial metastasis; Immunohistochemistry; Gastric cancer