title: Carcinomatous infiltration into the submucosa as a predictor of lymph node involvement in early gastric cancer.
abstract: The clinicopathologic features of 114 patients with resectable early gastric cancer (EGC) invading the submucosa were examined retrospectively with respect to lymph node involvement and the possibility of performing a minimally invasive operation. Patients were divided into node-positive (n = 25) and node-negative (n = 81) groups. Among several pathologic factors, the diameter of the tumor and lymphatic involvement were significantly correlated with nodal involvement. Within the submucosal layer the depth of invasion and the horizontal cancerous expansion also correlated with lymph node disease (p < 0.05). The size of the tumor did not correlate with the length of submucosal infiltration (r = 0.12, p = 0.1). Patients with both slight invasion into the submucosa and less than 5 mm of horizontal expansion were often negative for lymph node involvement and thus may benefit from local surgery as an alternative to gastrectomy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Kagoshima University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hokita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natsugoe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokushige
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saihara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwashige
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aridome
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aikou
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery