Gastric Adenocarcinoma Flashcards
What common pathway do many risk factors for gastric cancer share?
Chronic inflammation leading to dysplasia.
What are some environmental risk factors for gastric cancer?
Long-term H. pylori infection
atrophic gastritis
gastroesophageal reflux disease
pernicious anemia
tobacco use
high-salt foods
and smoked meats high in nitrates.
What role does ascorbic acid play in reducing gastric cancer risk?
from fresh fruits and vegetables can neutralize carcinogenic nitrogen compounds and oxygen free radicals.
What genetic factors are linked to an increased risk of gastric cancer?
Overexpression of COX2
cyclin D2
p53 mutations
microsatellite instability (MSI).
Name some inherited syndromes associated with familial gastric cancer.
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer
hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
and polyp-associated gastric cancer syndromes.
What percentage of primary gastric malignancies are adenocarcinomas?
95% of primary gastric malignancies are adenocarcinomas
What are the two other types of primary gastric malignancies besides adenocarcinoma?
Lymphoma (4%) and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST, <1%).
What is the Borrmann classification of gastric cancer?
A classification based on the gross appearance of endoscopic findings:
Type I: Polypoid
Type II: Fungating
Type III: Ulcerated
Type IV: Diffusely infiltrating (linitis plastica)
What is linitis plastica in the context of gastric cancer?
Type IV gastric cancer that is diffusely infiltrating, leading to a rigid, thickened stomach wall.
What are the two histologic subtypes of gastric adenocarcinoma according to the Lauren classification?
Intestinal type and diffuse type
What characteristics are associated with the intestinal type of gastric adenocarcinoma?
increasing incidence with age
often linked to environmental risk factors
or precancerous conditions like atrophy and metaplasia.
What cell type characterizes the diffuse type of gastric adenocarcinoma?
Tiny clusters of small, uniform, signet ring cells.
How does the diffuse type of gastric adenocarcinoma typically spread?
It has high rates of early metastasis through
submucosal lymphatic spread and transmural extension.
Which type of gastric adenocarcinoma is more likely to be poorly differentiated?
The diffuse type
Why is gastric cancer often diagnosed at a late stage?
Symptoms are typically vague and nonspecific, often mistaken for dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, or gastritis
What are some common symptoms of gastric cancer?
Early satiety, weight loss, obstruction, dysphagia, and bleeding, with 40% of patients having some form of anemia at diagnosis.
What is Sister Mary Joseph’s node, and what does it signify?
A palpable periumbilical node that indicates distant metastatic nodal disease, historically observed as predictive of advanced intraabdominal disease
Name three eponymous signs of distant metastatic disease in gastric cancer
Virchow’s node (supraclavicular adenopathy)
Krukenberg tumor (ovarian metastases)
Blumer’s shelf (peritoneal metastases palpated in the pouch of Douglas).
What are the primary tools for clinical staging and diagnosis of gastric cancer?
Endoscopy
endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
CT
PET
MRI
diagnostic laparoscopy with peritoneal washings.
How is endoscopy used in the diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma?
It confirms diagnosis, obtains biopsy specimens, and localizes the tumor for surgical planning, especially in relation to the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ).
What is the Siewert-Stein classification, and what does it describe?
It classifies proximal gastric tumors based on their location relative to the GEJ:
Type I: Distal esophagus, 1–5 cm above GEJ
Type II: Cardia, up to 1 cm above and 2 cm below GEJ
Type III: Subcardial, 2–5 cm below GEJ
Who undergoes selective screening with upper endoscopy for gastric cancer in the United States?
Patients with specific risk factors
such as gastric polyps, pernicious anemia, or certain genetic disorders
What is recommended by the NCCN regarding biopsy for gastric cancer diagnosis?
Taking multiple biopsy specimens from different areas of the lesion.
How are Siewert type III lesions classified and treated?
They are considered gastric cancers and should be treated according to gastric cancer protocols, ensuring adequate esophageal resection to achieve negative margins