title: Macroscopically node-negative but histologically node-positive gastric carcinoma.
abstract: The features of macroscopically node-negative but histologically node-positive (N(-) n(+)) tumours were examined in 521 patients undergoing curative surgery for gastric carcinoma. Of 240 histologically node-positive tumours, 62 (26 per cent) were N(-) n(+). The 10-year survival rate of patients with N(-) n(+) tumour at 66 per cent was worse than that of those with histologically node-negative tumour (91 per cent) (P < 0.01) but better than that of patients with macroscopically and histologically node-positive tumour (40 per cent) (P < 0.01). N(-) n(+) tumour was characterized by size less than 5 cm (47 per cent), invasion not beyond the muscularis propria (53 per cent), lymph node metastasis limited to group 1 nodes (76 per cent), number of positive nodes fewer than seven (90 per cent) and disease of stage II (52 per cent). The survival of patients with N(-) n(+) tumour was determined by the number of positive nodes and stage of disease. N(-) n(+) tumours are associated with a better outcome, owing to less progressive disease, and the number of positive nodes is a prognostic indicator.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimachi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome