title: Tumor size as a prognostic factor in patients with node-negative gastric cancer invading the muscularis propria and subserosa (pT2-3N0M0 stage).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of tumor size on outcomes in patients with pT2-3N0M0 stage.
  
  
  METHODS
  ROC curve analysis was used to determine the appropriate cut-off value for tumor size in 115 patients of pT2-3N0M0 stage gastric cancer. Based on this cut-off value, patients were divided into two groups. The five-year overall survival (OS) rates in the two groups were compared according to the independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using this cut-off value of 3.7cm, 62 patients had large-sized tumors (LSTs, tumor size >3.7cm) and 53 had small-sized tumors (SSTs, tumor size <3.7cm). Patients with LSTs had a significantly lower five-year OS rate than those with SSTs (60.7% vs. 88.4%, p=0.000). Depth of tumor invasion, histological type and tumor size were independent prognostic factors. In patients with pT2N0M0 stage tumors or pT2-3N0M0 stage patients with undifferentiated type tumors, five-year OS rates were significantly lower for LSTs than for SSTs (p<0.05 each).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor size is a prognostic factor in patients with pT2-3N0M0 stage. Especially for pT2N0M0 stage gastric cancer and pT2-3N0M0 stage gastric cancer with undifferentiated type tumors, the prognosis was poorer in patients with tumor size >3.7cm than that in patients with tumor size <3.7cm.
authors.forename: Chang-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chao-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jia-Bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-Xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate