Lymph node micrometastases in patients with early gastric cancer: experience with 139 patients.
BACKGROUND
Although lymph node metastases in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) is an important prognostic factor, the prognostic relevance of lymph node micrometastases is still uncertain.


METHODS
The authors studied 1488 lymph nodes, which were histologically confirmed as pN0, dissected from 139 patients who were treated for EGC between 1976-1994. Micrometastases were defined as a single or small cluster of neoplastic cells identifiable only by immunohistochemical methods.


RESULTS
Lymph node micrometastases was observed in 24 of the 139 patients (17%). No significant correlation was observed between micrometastases and other clinicopathological characteristics. Analysis of overall survival showed no significant difference between the micrometastases positive and negative groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study show that the presence of lymph node micrometastases in EGC does not have an influence on patient prognosis.
1' Department of General Surgery, Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy.
P
P
Morgagni
L
L
Saragoni
S
S
Folli
M
M
Gaudio
E
E
Scarpi
F
F
Bazzocchi
G A
GA
Marra
A
A
Vio
D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*