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Review
. 2020 Sep 3:12:7973-7981.
doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S268032. eCollection 2020.

Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma: Current Management and Future Challenges

Yang Li  1 , Zhikai Zhu  2 , Fuhai Ma  1 , Liyan Xue  3 , Yantao Tian  1
Affiliations
Review

Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma: Current Management and Future Challenges

Yang Li et al. Cancer Manag Res. .

Abstract

Recent advances in the epidemiology, pathology, molecular mechanisms, and combined modality therapy (CMT) fields have shown that gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (GSRC) should be considered a distinct cancerous entity. Clinical management of this cancer is challenging, with chemoradioresistance and poor outcomes in advanced stages. Pathological and molecular sets of GSRC demonstrate different features of poor cohesion and differentiation according to the WHO, Japanese Gastric Cancer Association, and Laurén classifications. These features also result in poor response to adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Certain studies of GSRC showed the disputed effectiveness of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Our aim was to discuss how an improved understanding of these therapeutic benefits may provide better treatment selection for patients, and therefore improve survival. The challenges in the new understanding of GSRC in routine practice and pathology, and the current limitations of treatment will also be discussed.

Keywords: combined modality therapy; gastric cancer; pathology; signet ring cell.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The pathological classifications of GSRC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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