Adenosquamous carcinoma of the stomach associated with separate early gastric cancer (type IIc).

Adenosquamous carcinoma originating in the stomach is a relatively rare entity. It comprises less than 0.5% of all gastric cancers. Recently, we encountered a patient with gastric adenosquamous carcinoma associated with separate early gastric cancer (type IIc). The patient was a 72-year-old man who was diagnosed as having gastric cancer in a multiphasic health screening examination conducted in May 1992. The patient subsequently underwent pylorogastrectomy. Examination of the resected specimen revealed two lesions, advanced cancer (Borrmann 2) and early cancer (type IIc). The lesions were histopathologically diagnosed as adenosquamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, respectively. The majority of gastric adenosquamous carcinomas are stage III or IV advanced cancers, and are treated according to the therapeutic protocol for adenocarcinomas. Their prognosis is generally poor. Continuous follow up is required for patients with these adenosquamous cancers, even after curative resection has been performed, because of the advanced nature of these lesions.