J Gastric Cancer.  2011 Sep;11(3):180-184. 10.5230/jgc.2011.11.3.180.

An Effect of Letrozole on Gastric Cancer?

• EL Hadi A
• AL-Momani
• Edwards P

• KMID: 2055516
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5230/jgc.2011.11.3.180

Abstract

Letrozole is a drug used in the treatment of postmenopausal women with breast and ovarian tumours. There is no evidence in the literature indicating its use in treating gastric cancer. We present a 68 year old lady admitted from the emergency department with weight loss, malaise and anaemia. Investigations confirmed the presence of two different primary tumours in the left breast and the stomach. Following that this patient with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer and oestrogen receptor negative gastric cancer was treated with letrozole for her breast cancer followed by a gastric resection. Independent histology by two pathologists pre-operatively diagnosed gastric adenocarcinoma. Post-operatively, independent analysis of the resected stomach, omentum and lymph nodes revealed no evidence of gastric cancer. Therefore we conclude that there is a possibility of letrozole having an effect on gastric cancer. Further studies are needed.

Keyword

Letrozole; Stomach neoplasms; Remission, spontaneous

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Emergencies
Female
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Nitriles
Omentum
Remission, Spontaneous
Stomach
Stomach Neoplasms
Triazoles
Weight Loss
Nitriles
Triazoles

Figure

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  Fig. 1 CT abdomen showing thickening of the gastric antrum which measured approximately 19.3 mm. CT = computerized tomography.

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  Fig. 2 CT abdomen demonstrates the mesenteric lymphadenopathy, showing two lymph nodes measuring 8.6 and 9.3 mm. CT = computerized tomography.

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  Fig. 3 CT thorax showing an incidental finding of a left side breast tumour measuring 18.2 mm as demonstrated on the scan. CT = computerized tomography.

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  Fig. 4 CT thorax showing left axillary lymphadenopathy, one of the lymph node measured 11 mm as shown on the scan. CT = computerized tomography.

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  Fig. 5 Left breast mammogram showing left side breast cancer.

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  Fig. 6 Left breast biopsy (Formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue stained with haematoxylin-eosin) showing invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast grade 2.

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  Fig. 7 Gastric biopsy (Formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue stained with haematoxylin-eosin) showing gastric ulceration with invasive adenocarcinoma of the stomach.

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