title: Early signet ring cell gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) is defined as a histological entity. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric SRC remain controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1994 to 2006, 2,439 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled. Of these, 505 patients (20.7%) had SRC and were compared to 1,934 patients with other histological types.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine percent of patients in the SRC group (n = 149) had early gastric cancer, with tumor invasion limited to the mucosa or submucosa, compared to 22.2% of patients in the non-SRC group (n = 430). The proportion of regional LN metastases was 10.7 and 16.0% in early SRC and early non-SRC, respectively, (p = 0.115). The 5-year survival rates for patients with early SRC were better than those for patients with early non-SRC (96.1 vs. 89.6%, p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early gastric SRC has favorable prognosis. There is no significant difference in terms of LN metastasis between SRC histologic type and other histological types. Less-invasive strategies may be acceptable in selected patients with early gastric SRC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenetrology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Tang
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Chia-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Ta-Sen
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Jun-Te
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Keng-Hao
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-Nan
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Tsann-Long
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Yi-Yin
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Chun-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery