title: Predictable factors for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer-analysis of single institutional experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prediction of lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer (EGC) is very important to decide treatment strategies preoperatively. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors that predict the presence of lymph node metastasis and to identify the differences between mucosal and submucosal gastric cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 376 patients with EGC who underwent gastrectomy from March 1999 through December 2007 were retrospectively identified. The clinopathological factors and biological markers (p53, Ki67) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of lymph node metastasis was 9.6% (mucosal cancer 2.8%, submucosal cancer 18.4%). Tumor size, depth of invasion, macroscopic type, and lymphovascular invasion were related to lymph node metastasis in EGC. When the carcinomas were confined to the mucosal layer, tumor size and lymphovascular invasion showed significant correlation with lymph node metastasis. On the other side, macroscopic type and lymphovascular invasion were association with lymph node metastasis in submucosal carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk factors for lymph node metastasis in EGC are quite different depending on depth of tumor invasion. To predict lymph node metastasis in EGC, it is recommended that distinct assessment according to individual situation should be clearly established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea.
authors.forename: Man Sup
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Hae-Wan
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyoungjune
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Byung Seup
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi Yeol
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jang Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Dae Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bong Hwa
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53