[Effect of number of resected lymph nodes on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients without lymphatic metastasis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the long-term correlation between the number of resected lymph nodes (LNs) and the prognosis of patients with node-negative gastric cancer.


METHODS
From January 1995 to December 2004, 221 patients with gastric cancer underwent D2 radical resection and were proved with no nodal involvement. The clinical records of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. The relationships of the dissected LNs number to 5-year survival rate and post-operative complication rate were analyzed respectively.


RESULTS
The overall 5-year survival rate of this group was 83.5%. The total number of dissected LNs was one independent prognostic factors in this group. Among patients with the same depth of tumor invasion, the more the number of dissected LNs, the better the survival would be (P < 0.05). The patients had better long-term survival outcomes with dissected LNs counts of more than 15 for cases with pT1-2 tumor, and more than 20 for cases with pT3 tumor. The post-operative complication rate was 10.8% and it was not significantly correlated with the number of dissected lymph nodes (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The number of dissected LNs is an independent prognostic predicting factor for lymph node-negative gastric cancer. Sufficient dissection of LNs is recommended to improve the patients' long-term survival. Suitable increment of dissected LNs count would not increase the post-operative complication rate.
Huang
Chang-ming
CM
Department of Surgical Oncology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China. hcmlr253@sohu.com
Lin
Jian-xian
JX
Zheng
Chao-hui
CH
Li
Ping
P
Xie
Jian-wei
JW
Lin
Bi-juan
BJ
Lu
Hui-shan
HS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*