Gastric Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor: A case report

Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors (ES/PNETs) may arise in bone or soft tissue; however, these tumors rarely originate in the stomach. To the best of our knowledge, only four cases have previously been reported in the English-language literature. A 41-year-old Japanese woman was admitted with abdominal pain and underwent gastrectomy to remove the primary tumor. Immunohistochemistry, chromosomal karyotype and molecular analysis using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed in the tumor specimens obtained. Tumor cells showed positive immunoreactivity for CD99, vimentin, CD117 (c-kit), S100, chromogranin A and synaptophysin. The tumor was a gastric ES/PNET with the EWS-FLI1 fusion gene translocation t(11;22)(q24;q12). Multiple repeat metastasectomies, as well as multi-agent chemotherapy and radiotherapy were performed for recurrent disease. Despite treatment, the patient succumbed due to progressive disease 110 months after the initial surgery for gastric ES/PNET. A review of the reported cases suggests that patients with gastric ES/PNETs have an unfavorable prognosis following resection due to the high propensity of these tumors to metastasize. Thus, multimodal treatment approaches including surgery, as well as multi-agent chemotherapy and radiotherapy may provide a survival benefit for patients with gastric ES/PNETs.