# A Rare Case of Early Gastric Cancer With Rapid Bone Involvement

## TL;DR

A rare case of early gastric cancer rapidly spreading to the bones highlights the importance of early detection and close monitoring.

## Contribution

This case study presents a rare instance of early gastric cancer with rapid bone metastasis and emphasizes the need for early screening and follow-up.

## Key findings

- The patient was diagnosed with early gastric cancer but rapidly developed bone metastases.
- Early detection of gastric cancer is associated with better prognosis, but recurrence and metastasis can occur quickly.
- Close follow-up is recommended for early gastric cancer patients to detect recurrence or metastasis early.

## Abstract

Gastric cancers rarely metastasize to the bones. If they do, they have a very poor prognosis. We here present a case study of a 56-year-old man who, within a year, rapidly declined and died. He was first revealed to have an erosion found on an esophageal gastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which was later proven to be a poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma. He then proceeded to have a thoracic trans-hiatal esophagogastrostomy with gastric pull-up to resect this cancer. At this point in time, the review of systems and CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis were negative. A few months later, he started having back pain and was diagnosed with metastatic disease of the bones through a CT scan. Although detecting gastric cancer at an early stage is rare, it is shown to have a better prognosis. It is, therefore, very important to reflect on the possibility of engaging in earlier screening to detect gastric cancers at an earlier stage to minimize the risk of invasions of other organs, especially for those who have other risk factors such as obesity and tobacco use. We believe it is prudent to ensure close follow-up with any patient with early gastric cancer to potentially detect recurrence or metastasis in a timely fashion.