Gastric Metastasis of Invasive Lobular Breast Carcinoma, a Current Diagnostic and Treatment Challenge - A Review

Abstract

Introduction: The predilection of lobular invasive breast cancer metastasis for the stomach is a topic that has succumbed to various assumptions over the time. Background and Aims: Gastric metastasis of lobular breast cancer is unusual and it can be diagnosed after a long period of time from primary tumor diagnosis. The aim of this study was to review current knowledge regarding the current methods of diagnosis and treatment of gastric metastasis of breast cancer. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in the Pub-Med Medline database using the terms "gastric metastasis of lobular breast cancer" and "gastric metastasis features" to identify articles relevant to gastric metastasis of lobular breast cancer. Results: Several papers have shown that the topic is rarely presented in the form of case presentations or miniseries by summing up sporadic cases. Due to its rarity and metastasis specificity as host type and appearance after latency of lobular breast cancer makes its gastric metastasis considered atypical and occasionally confused with a primary stomach malignancy. The most recent articles present the immunohistochemical diagnostic criteria of this clinical entity and a new therapeutic approach. Conclusion: At patients with gastric metastasis of lobular breast cancer, obtaining pathologic material and biopsies interpretation can be a real challenge for getting a correct pathologic diagnosis, immunohistochemistry gives us definite diagnosis. The introduction of an endoscopic surveillance protocol for patients with lobular breast cancer could be a proposal for the detection of early gastric metastases allowing for appropriate therapy.

Keywords: gastricmetastases; immunohistochemistrytest; lobularbreastcancer; upperendoscopy.