Clinical correlation of endoscopic ultrasonography with pathologic stage and outcome in patients undergoing curative resection for gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is considered valuable for preoperative staging of gastric cancer and defining patient eligibility for enrollment in neoadjuvant protocols. The aim of this study was to correlate EUS staging with pathologic evaluation and outcome in patients undergoing curative R0 resection for gastric cancer.


METHODS
All patients who underwent preoperative clinical assessment of T/N stage with EUS and subsequent R0 resection for gastric adenocarcinoma between 1993 and 2003 were identified from a prospective database. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Clinical staging results from preoperative EUS were compared with postoperative pathologic staging results and correlated with clinical outcome.


RESULTS
Two hundred twenty-five patients with gastric cancer underwent EUS followed by R0 resection, without preoperative chemotherapy. The accuracy of the individual EUS T stage was 57% (127 of 223) and was 50% for N stage (110 of 218). Although EUS was less able to predict outcome according to individual T stage, patients with lesions <or=T2 on EUS had a significantly better outcome than patients with lesions >or=T3. Preoperative assessment of risk was not predicted by EUS N stage alone. Patients identified as high risk on EUS and those with a combination of serosal invasion and nodal disease had both the highest concordance with pathology and a significantly worse outcome (P = .02).


CONCLUSIONS
The concordance between EUS and pathologic results was lower than expected for individual T and N stages. Patients with lesions <or=T2 had a significantly better prognosis than patients with more advanced lesions. Individual EUS N stage has limited value in preoperative risk assessment. Combined assessment of serosal invasion and nodal positivity on EUS identifies 77% of patients at risk for death from gastric cancer after curative resection.
Bentrem
David
D
Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, New York 10021, USA.
Gerdes
Hans
H
Tang
Laura
L
Brennan
Murray
M
Coit
Daniel
D
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D001706:Biopsy; D019160:Endosonography; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012704:Serous Membrane / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome