[Clinicopathological study of AFP producing gastric cancer--significance of AFP in gastric cancer].

We experienced fifteen cases (3.9%) out of 387 with gastric cancer showing elevation of alphafetoprotein (AFP) in serum. In these cases AFP producing cells in primary lesion demonstrated positive for anti-AFP by means of immunohistochemical study. In this report, clinicopathological feature and clinical significance as a tumor marker of gastric cancer were discussed. Gross type showed Borrmann II and III which were located in atrophic area in the stomach. Histological type revealed papillary, moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, all of which showed medullary growth in stroma. In clinical field, liver metastasis was observed in 12(80%) of 15 cases. In these cases, elevation of serum AFP was already observed before the detection of liver metastases by CT or Echo. Immunohistochemical study showed no difference between primary tumor and metastases, and no AFP positive cells were seen in 68 early gastric cancers without elevation of serum AFP.