Cavalcanti E, et al. - Surgically resected tumor specimens were examined from 63 patients with early gastric cancer (EGC), performing immunostaining to show the tumor cells' gastric foveolar or intestinal origin, as well as, correlations among foveolar and intestinal phenotypic marker expression, tumor patterns, clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic and therapeutic implications were assessed. According to findings, foveolar differentiated EGC (DEGC) was significantly correlated with larger tumor size, high grade, vessel permeation, lymph node metastasis and ulceration, while intestinal type DEGC was related to low grade. The authors concluded that IHC mucin phenotype determination is a simple, cheap technique that can provide helpful, delicate markers that distinguish the DEGC foveolar or intestinal phenotype. Accurate identification of the foveolar type, with a poorer prognosis, should sound a warning bell requiring close study of the lesion before endoscopic treatment or contraindicating endoscopic resection in favor of open surgery.