title: Incidence and prognostic value of lymph node metastasis on c-Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the stomach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgical R0 resection is a mainstay of treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the stomach. The incidence of lymph node metastasis (LNM) has been reported as extremely low. However, the actual incidence of LNM still remains unclear due to the limited number of patients who underwent systemic lymph node dissection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven patients who underwent gastrectomy with systemic lymphadenectomy for c-Kit-positive GIST of the stomach at the Cancer Institute Hospital between 1970 and 2000 were included. The clinicopathological characteristics of the patients were used to clarify the incidence and prognostic value of LNM in patients with GIST of the stomach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  R0 resection was achieved in 52/57 patients. The 5-year survival rate of patients following R0 resection was 68.6%. LNM was observed in 5/57 (8.8%) patients. All 5 patients died within 5 years after surgery even though 3 had undergone curative surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with GIST of the stomach, the incidence of LNM following systemic lymphadenectomy is low. The prognosis of patients with LNM was poor; thus it should be regarded as an advanced disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology Surgery, Japanese foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Shigekazu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiki
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit