Stomach cancer endoscopy and biopsy
Stomach cancer Microchapters |
Diagnosis |
---|
Treatment |
Case Studies |
Stomach cancer endoscopy and biopsy On the Web |
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Stomach cancer endoscopy and biopsy |
Risk calculators and risk factors for Stomach cancer endoscopy and biopsy |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Parminder Dhingra, M.D. [2]
Overview
Biopsy may be helpful in the diagnosis of stomach cancer.
Endoscopy and Biopsy
Biopsy
- Gastric adenocarcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumor, originating from glandular epithelium of the gastric mucosa. It invades the gastric wall, infiltrating the muscularis mucosae, the submucosa and hence the muscularis propria. Histologically, there are two major types of gastric cancer (Lauren classification): intestinal type and diffuse type.
- Intestinal type adenocarcinoma: Tumor cells describe irregular tubular structures, harboring pluristratification, multiple lumens, and reduced stroma ("back to back" aspect). Often, it associates intestinal metaplasia in neighboring mucosa. Depending on glandular architecture, cellular pleomorphism and mucosecretion, adenocarcinoma may present 3 degrees of differentiation: well, moderate and poorly differentiated.
- Diffuse type adenocarcinoma (mucinous, colloid): tumor cells are discohesive and secrete mucus which is delivered in the interstitium producing large pools of mucus/colloid (optically "empty" spaces). It is poorly differentiated. If the mucus remains inside the tumor cell, it pushes the nucleus at the periphery - "signet-ring cell".