The spectrum of gastrointestinal metastases of breast carcinoma: I. Stomach.

In a 15-year period at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, 27 patients were found with breast carcinoma metastatic to the stomach. Presenting symptoms were non-specific, mainly nausea, vomiting, dysphagia, epigastric pain, and melena. Endoscopy, performed in 22 of these patients, yielded a correct diagnosis in 13. Lobular rather than ductal breast carcinoma was the predominant source of gastric metastases in this series. Non-surgical treatment was rewarded by a favorable, palliative response in 32% of cases.