A Case of Early Gastric Cancer Associated with Increased Serum CA19-9 and Multiple Bone Metastases

Abstract

A 54-year-old female visited our hospital to receive further examination and treatment for metastatic bone tumor. The upper GI X-ray series, the endoscopy with biopsy and the endoscopic ultrasonography revealed the IIc type of early gastric cancer with submcosal invasion at the greater curvature of the lower gastric body, which was diagnosed signet-ring cell carcinoma histologically. The bone scintigram with ^99mTc-HMDP showed the multiple bone metastases. Abdominal CT scan showed the existence of multiple lymph node metastasis in the para-aortic area. The serum CA19-9 was much higher than normal range.
The CA19-9 protein was positive in the cancer cells in both primary gastric cancer and the left supra-cravicular lymph node by the immunohistochemical stain with anti-CA19-9 monoclonal antibody. Thus, we speculated that the tumor cells should produce CA19-9 protein.