Breast cancer metastasizing to the upper gastrointestinal tract (the esophagus and the stomach): A comprehensive review of the literature

Breast cancer can infrequently metastasize to the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract but the exact incidence is not well established-there is considerable variation between incidence reported from clinical studies and incidence noted in autopsy series. Clinical presentation can be very non-specific and often mimics primary gastrointestinal conditions. Endoscopy alone may not be sufficient to make a diagnosis and misdiagnosis is also common. A high degree of awareness and clinical suspicion is required to establish metastases to the upper GI tract. We undertook a comprehensive review of the available literature on breast cancer metastases to the esophagus and stomach including the clinical symptoms and presentation, endoscopic features, additional diagnostic imaging modalities, treatment and outcomes.

Automated summary

The exact incidence of breast cancer metastasis to the upper gastrointestinal tract is not well established, and clinical presentation is often non-specific, leading to misdiagnosis. High awareness and clinical suspicion are required for the diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal tract metastases.