title: The predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer: A clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the clinicopathological factors associated with lymph node metastases in early gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the distribution of metastatic nodes in 198 patients with early gastric cancer treated in our hospital between May 2008 and January 2015, the clinicopathological factors including age, gender, tumor location, tumor size, macroscopic type, depth of invasion, histological type and venous invasion were studied, and the relationship between various parameters and lymph node metastases was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, one hundred and ninety-eight patients with early gastric cancer were included, and lymph node metastasis was detected in 28 patients. Univariate analysis revealed a close relationship between tumor size, depth of invasion, histological type, venous invasion, local ulceration and lymph node metastases. Multivariate analysis revealed that the five factors were independent risk factors for lymph node metastases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinicopathological parameters including tumor size, depth of invasion, local ulceration, histological type and venous invasion are closely correlated with lymph node metastases, should be paid high attention in early gastric cancer patients.
authors: Yinzhong Wang, MD. Department of General surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Jiaozuo, Jiaozuo, Henan province, China.
authors: Yinzhong
authors: Y
authors: Wang
keywords: Depth of invasion; Early gastric cancer (EGC); Histological type; Local ulceration; Lymph node metastases; Tumor size; Venous invasion