| Abstract: | This report presents a rare case of a patient with gastric cancer whose clinical course with the development of tumor from early cancer type IIc to advanced cancer of linitis plastica was observed for 9.5 years. The cancer remained in early stage for 3 years and 8 months after the patient’s first endoscopy. At 5 years and 10 months after initial endoscopy, the lesion progressed to advanced cancer, and after 6 years and 7 months sclerotic changes in the gastric wall were detected at the lesion site. After 9 years, advanced gastric cancer of linitis plastica was present throughout the stomach. The initial stage of linitis plastica is considered to be early gastric cancer type IIc with histologically undifferentiated cancer cells. It is widely accepted that a period of 6–8 years is required for this type of cancer to develop from carcinogenesis to completion of lesions. The present case is valuable in that development from early gastric cancer type IIc to linitis plastica during approximately 10 years of follow up was clinically observed, and will contribute to knowledge of the natural history of gastric cancer. |
