A Case of an α-fetoprotein-producing Early Gastric Cancer

Satoshi Takiguchi, Kiyoaki Watanabe, Katsuhiko Kawakami, Mitsuya Honda*

Department of Surgery and Pathology*, Osaka Kaisei Hospital

AFP-producing early gastric cancer, which is a very rare cancer with only 5 previous reported cases in Japan, occurring in a 58-year-old man in described. He reported no symptoms. Upper GI study showed an elevated lesion at the antrum and endoscopy revealed a Borrmann type-3 lesion. The histological diagnosis of the biopsy specimen was well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. In the preoperative study, serum AFP, as well as CEA, was slightly elevated. Subtotal gastrectomy with R2 lymph node dissection was performed. The resected specimen showed IIa+IIc-type early gastric cancer. In histological examination, the lesion in the mucosal layer was found to be mainly moderately-differentiated adenocarcinoma and that in the submucosal layer was on the whole poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoam. Staining for CEA was positive in the former and AFP was stained positively in the latter. Serum CEA and AFP levels decreased to within normal limits in the 2 months after operation. The patient is alive without no sign of hepatic metastasis or recurrence, l0 months after operation.

Key words
α-fetoprotein, α-fetoprotein producing gastric cancer early gastric cancer

Reprint requests
Satoshi Takiguchi Department of Surgery, Nakatsu Icho Hospital
510 Nagazoe, Nakatsu, 871 JAPAN

Accepted
April 17, 1991

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