Brain-Only Metastasis and 10-Year Survival after Curative Gastric Cancer Resection: A Case Report

Gastric cancer (GC) usually metastasizes to locoregional lymph nodes, the peritoneum causing ascites, or to the liver and lungs but rarely to the brain. Few cases of brain-only GC metastases have been reported, and the prognosis is very poor. We present a case of brain-only metastasis 2 years after curative GC surgery and chemotherapy, who visited the ER due to a headache. The patient underwent operative tumor resection of the brain with additional chemotherapy and is still alive and disease free 10 years after initial curative treatment. This case shows that brain-only metastasis may have a better prognosis than that of systemic metastasis; thus, aggressive treatment with radiotherapy or surgery with chemotherapy may be needed.