Her-2 positive gastric cancer presented with thrombocytopenia and skin involvement: a case report

Inflammatory cutaneous metastases originating from gastric cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous metastasis with gastric cancer (GC) origin is extremely rare and associated with poor prognosis. Nodular type is the most common type, while other forms are extremely rare.

CASE SUMMARY

This study describes severe skin redness, swelling, pain, and fever in a 65-year-old man diagnosed with GC, whose left chest wall, left upper limb, and left back were mainly affected. Firstly, the patient was diagnosed with "lymphangitis" and treated to promote lymphatic return. However, the symptoms were constantly deteriorating, and skin thickening and scattered small nodules gradually appeared. Finally, the skin biopsy confirmed cutaneous metastases, and the patient died 7 d later.

CONCLUSION

Our case highlights that cutaneous metastasis should be considered when skin lesions appear in patients with GC.

Expression of HER2/c-erbB-2, EGFR Protein in Gastric Carcinoma and its Clinical Significance

Objective

To investigate the HER2/c-erbB-2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein expression in gastric cancer and association with patients’ clinical pathology characteristics and prognosis.

Methods

HER2/c-erbB-2 and EGFR protein expression was examined by immunohistochemical assay in gastric cancer tissue and corresponding paired normal gastric tissue of 67 patients of gastric carcinoma. The HER2/c-erbB-2, EGFR protein positive expression rate in cancer tissue and normal gastric tissue were compared. The correlation between HER2/c-erbB-2, EGFR protein positive expression and patients’ clinical pathology characteristics and survival was evaluated.

Results

The positive expression rate of HER2/c-erbB-2 in the cancer and paired normal gastric tissues were 32.8% (22/67) and 4.5% (3/67), respectively with statistical difference (p<0.05). And the positive expression rate of EGFR in cancer and paired normal gastric tissues were 41.8% (28/67) and 5.9 (4/67), respectively, with statistical difference (p<0.05). HER2/c-erbB-2 positive expression in cancer tissue was significant correlated with the pathology grading (p<0.05), tumor invasion depth (p<0.05) and local regional lymph node metastasis (p<0.05); EGFR positive expression in cancer tissue was significant correlated with the tumor invasion depth (p<0.05) and local regional lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). The median survival time was 13.14 and 23.6 months respectively for HER2/c-erbB-2 positive and negative expression groups respectively with statistical difference ( HR=2.26, 9%CI:1.06-4.80, p<0.05). However, the median survival time was 15.47 and 22.87 months for EGFR positive and negative expression groups respectively, without statistical difference (HR=1.78, 9%CI:0.96-3.29, p>0.05).

Conclusion

Positive expression of HER2/c-erbB-2 and EGFR proteins in cancer tissue was significant higher than normal gastric tissue and have significant correlation with prognosis.