title: Appropriate gastrectomy resection margins for early gastric carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Korea and Japan, early gastric cancer (EGC) accounts for >50% of all gastric cancers. Here, we propose recommendations for the optimal distance from the tumor to the resection margins when evaluating EGC.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There are very few guidelines regarding the distance from the EGC tumor to the resection margins.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 2,081 patients who underwent gastrectomy for EGC between January 1989 and May 2000. We subdivided tumors according to the distance from the proximal margin: ≤ 1, >1, ≤ 10, >10, ≤ 30, or >30 mm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three of five patients demonstrating distances ≤ 1 mm between the tumor and gross proximal margin were microscopically positive. No patients with gross proximal margins >1, ≤ 10, >10, or ≤ 30 mm were microscopically positive. There were no statistical differences in rates of microscopically positive margin, reresection, or reoperation between groups (P > 0.05). In addition, there were statistical differences in terms of tumor recurrence and disease-related death between groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the resection margins are clear, we propose that margins >1 mm are adequate for EGC gastrectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Beom Su
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jeong Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yook
authors.forename: Hee Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In Seob
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byung Sik
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: early gastric cancer; reresection; resection margin