title: Prognostic value of tumor size in patients with remnant gastric cancer: is the seventh UICC stage sufficient for predicting prognosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The 7th UICC N stage may be unsuitable for remnant gastric cancer (RGC) because the original disease and previous operation usually cause abnormal lymphatic drainage. However, the prognostic significance of the current TNM staging system in RGC has not been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective data from 153 RGC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy from Jan 1995 to Aug 2009 were reviewed. All patients were classified according to tumor size (<3 cm as N0;>3&≤5 cm as N1;>5&≤7 cm as N2; and>7 cm as N3). The overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumor sizes ranged from 1.0 to 15.0 cm (median 5.0 cm). Tumor size, depth of invasion and lymph node (LN) metastasis were significant prognostic factors based on both the univariate and multivariate analyses (P<0.05). In the survival analysis, the seventh edition UICC-TNM classification provided a detailed classification; however, some subgroups of the UICC-TNM classification did not have significantly different survival rates. The combination of the seventh edition T classification and the suggested N classification, with ideal relative risk (RR) results and P value, was distinctive for subgrouping the survival rates except for the IA versus IB and II A versus IIB. A modified staging system based on tumor size, predicted survival more accurately than the conventional TNM staging system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In RGCs, tumor size is an independent prognostic factor and a modified TNM system based on tumor size accurately predicts survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Chang-ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Chao-hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Jian-wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Jia-bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Jian-xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Qi-yue
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Long-long
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou City, China.
authors.forename: Mi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018530:Gastric Stump / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*