Predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the predictive factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early gastric cancer (EGC).


METHODS
Data from patients surgically treated for gastric cancers between January 1994 and December 2007 were retrospectively collected. Clinicopathological factors were analyzed to identify predictive factors for LNM.


RESULTS
Of the 2936 patients who underwent gastrectomy and lymph node dissection, 556 were diagnosed with EGC and included in this study. Among these, 4.1% of patients had mucosal tumors (T1a) with LNM while 24.3% of patients had submucosal tumors with LNM. Univariate analysis found that female gender, tumors ≥ 2 cm, tumor invasion to the submucosa, vascular and lymphatic involvement were significantly associated with a higher rate of LNM. On multivariate analysis, tumor size, lymphatic involvement, and tumor with submucosal invasion were associated with LNM.


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor with submucosal invasion, size ≥ 2 cm, and presence of lymphatic involvement are predictive factors for LNM in EGC.
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, China.
Chang-Mu
CM
Sung
Chen-Ming
CM
Hsu
Jun-Te
JT
Hsu
Ta-Sen
TS
Yeh
Chun-Jung
CJ
Lin
Tse-Ching
TC
Chen
Ming-Yao
MY
Su
Cheng-Tang
CT
Chiu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult