title: T2 or greater disease but were diagnosed preoperatively with early gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to explore the characteristics of the patients who were diagnosed preoperatively with early gastric cancer but pathologically confirmed T2 or greater disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two patients, who were diagnosed preoperatively with early gastric cancer between August 2001 and December 2006, but had T2a or more lesions by pathological examination, were included in this study. The potential clinical and pathological factors and lymph node metastasis based on the recommendations of the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Carcinoma (JRSGC) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 705 patients identified, there were 90 (12.8%) with proven T2 or more advanced gastric cancer at pathological examination. Thirty-eight out of 72 (47.2%) patients had metastatic lymph nodes. Fourteen patients (19.4%) had metastatic lymph nodes at the topographical N2 lymph node station on pathological examination. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lymphovascular invasion was an independent risk factor for topographical N2 lymph node metastasis (Coefficient; -2.144, standard error; 0.95, relative risk; 0.117, 95% of confidence interval of relative risk; 0.028-0.498, p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study suggests that laparoscopic surgeons should pay attention to the selection of patients and the patients confirmed to have T2 or more gastric cancers with lymphovascular invasion on pathological examination after laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy need close follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Center for Gastric Cancer, National Cancer Center, 809 Madu-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 411-769, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Eok
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jun Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung-Cherl
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kook
authors.forename: Jun Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Keun Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jong Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Yeul
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chan Gyoo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Il Ju
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sook Ryun
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery