Gastric-type extremely well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the stomach: A rare tumor with diagnostic difficulties and high inter-observer variation in endoscopic pinch biopsies

Abstract

Extremely well-differentiated gastric-type adenocarcinoma (EWDGA) is a rare type of gastric cancer composed of deceptively bland-looking malignant cells resembling normal foveolar or pyloric epithelium. The histological features of this tumor have not been recognized by many pathologists, and inter-observer variation studies are lacking. Here, we report seven EWDGAs and inter-observer variation of six preoperative biopsies was evaluated by 11 pathologists in a single institute. Based on the pathological diagnosis of the endoscopic biopsy slides, the average rate of definite malignancy diagnosis was 15.2 %, and the overall diagnostic concordance rate was 34.9 % among 11 pathologists. Microscopically, the surface epithelium was preserved and only a few atypical tumor glands were scattered in most endoscopic biopsies. Structural atypia was minimal, and the tumor glands were barely distinguishable from normal glands. Although nuclear atypia was minimal, enlarged nuclei, relatively large glands with irregular shapes, and abundant cytoplasmic mucin were observed in gastric pinch biopsies. In preoperative biopsies, no cases showed p53 overexpression, and Ki-67 labeling index ranged from 3 % to 35 % and was higher compared to non-neoplastic glands in 3 cases. After gastrectomy, four (57.1 %) patients had advanced gastric cancer and three (42.9 %) had lymph node metastasis. Genomic profiling of the four patients revealed mutations of TP53, BRAF, KRAS, STK11, and MDM2/CCND1 amplification. Immunohistochemistry for p53 was not helpful while Ki-67 may be helpful when staining pattern is distinct from the non-neoplastic mucosa. In conclusion, it is challenging to diagnose EWDGA using biopsy specimens. Recognizing and addressing this rare entity will increase diagnostic accuracy to ensure the early diagnosis of cancer.