Prediction of lymph node status in patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma: analysis of 160 surgically resected cancers

BACKGROUND: The ability to predict lymph node metastasis in cases of superficial esophageal carcinoma before surgery would allow the identification of specific patients who do not require additional surgical resection after endoscopic local resection. METHODS: From 1980 to 2002 a total of 160 patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma, Tis or T1 tumors, underwent subtotal esophagectomy with lymph node dissection. On the basis of clinicopathologic data the risk factors for lymph node metastases are discussed. RESULTS: Patients with tumors that showed submucosal invasion, a nonflat shape, and lymphatic invasion had a higher risk for lymph node metastasis than the other patients. Multivariate analysis showed that the tumor depth and the macroscopic shape of the tumor were independent risk factors for lymph node metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Esophagectomy with lymph node dissection is recommended for patients with submucosal cancer. Local tumor resection can be recommended for patients with mucosal cancer without lymphatic invasion.     

Pattern of lymph node metastases in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus who underwent three-field lymphadenectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lymph nodes in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus might be involved with metastases at cervical, mediastinal, and abdominal sites. The range of lymph node dissection is still controversial. The pattern of lymph node metastasis and factors that are correlated with lymph node metastasis affect the surgical procedure of lymph node dissection. The purpose of the present study was to explore the pattern of lymph node metastasis and factors that are correlated with lymph node metastasis in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent three-field lymphadenectomy. METHODS: Lymph node metastases in 230 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy with three-field lymphadenectomy were analyzed. The metastatic sites of lymph nodes were correlated with tumor location by chi-square test. Logistic regression was used to analyze clinicopathological factors related to lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Lymph node metastases were found in 133 of the 230 patients (57.8%). The average number of resected lymph nodes was 25.3 +/- 11.4 (range 11-71). The proportions of lymph node metastases were 41.6, 19.44, and 8.3% in neck, thoracic mediastinum, and abdominal cavity, respectively, for patients with upper thoracic esophageal carcinomas, 33.3, 34.7, and 14%, respectively, in those with middle thoracic esophageal carcinomas, and 36.4, 34.1, and 43.2%, respectively, for patients with lower thoracic esophageal carcinomas. We did not observe any significant difference in lymph node metastatic rates among upper, middle, and lower thoracic carcinomas for cervical or thoracic nodes. The difference in lymph node metastatic rates for nodes in the abdominal cavity was significant among upper, middle, and lower thoracic carcinomas. The lower thoracic esophageal cancers were more likely to metastasize to the abdominal cavity than tumors at other thoracic sites. A logistic regression model showed that depth of tumor invasion and lymphatic vessel invasion were factors influencing lymph node metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our data, cervical and mediastinal node dissection should be performed independent of the tumor location. Abdominal node dissection should be conducted more vigorously for lower thoracic esophageal cancers than for cancers at other locations. Patients with deeper tumor invasion or lymphatic vessel invasion were more likely to develop lymph node metastases.     

Is lymphadenectomy needed for all submucosal gastric cancers?

OBJECTIVE: To find out if it is feasible to extend the indication for local resection of submucosal gastric cancer without increasing the risk of lymph node metastases. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital, Japan. SUBJECTS: 104 patients with gastric cancer confined to the submucosal layer who underwent conventional gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy. INTERVENTIONS: The risk of nodal metastases was analysed retrospectively depending on the depth of submucosal invasion, size of the tumour, and other clinicopathological findings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The degree of submucosal invasion, size of the tumour, and incidence of lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: 15/104 patients (14%) had lymph node metastases. No patient in whom submucosal invasion was less than 500 microm or tumour was less than 15 mm in diameter developed lymph node metastases. Fewer patients had lymphatic permeation (37/89) and venous involvement (21/89) in the group without lymph node metastases. CONCLUSION: These data seem to support the hypothesis that early, minimally invasive, gastric cancer measuring < 15 mm in diameter could be treated by endoscopic mucosal or local resection, and gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy might be unnecessary.     

Clinical implications of cervical lymph node metastasis patterns in thoracic esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE. The authors attempt to clarify the clinical implications of cervical lymph node metastases from thoracic esophageal cancers. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA. Cervical lymph node metastases from thoracic esophageal cancer have been considered to be incompatible with curative resection. However, recent studies have demonstrated that cure is achievable in patients with such metastases. METHODS. Patterns of esophageal cancer metastasis to the cervical nodes and long-term results after tumor resection were investigated in 23 patients undergoing bilateral cervical lymphadenectomy for treatment of thoracic esophageal cancer. RESULTS. The number of positive nodes per patient was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in lower esophageal cancers (median: 15) than in upper or mid esophageal cancers (median: 2.5). Simultaneous metastases to three nodal regions (the neck, mediastinum, and abdomen) were significantly more common (p < 0.001) in lower esophageal tumors (88.9%) than in upper and mid esophageal lesions (7.1%). Although the overall 5-year survival rate was 16.5%, long-term survival was achieved only in patients with upper or mid esophageal cancer.     

早期黏膜下胃癌微转移和微浸润的临床意义

目的 探讨临床早期黏膜下胃癌的淋巴结微转移和原发灶微浸润的临床意义。方法 对79例早期黏膜下胃癌患者手术切除的1945个淋巴结及68例肿瘤原发灶分别进行连续超薄切片,并应用抗细胞角蛋白(CK)单克隆抗体(CAM5．2)进行免疫组化检测并结合临床病理学指标及患者预后进行综合分析研究。结果 常规HE染色时,淋巴结转移率为13％(10／79),而CK染色为34％(27／79)。早期黏膜下胃癌的微转移发生率为25％(17／69)。68例早期黏膜下胃癌患者中,微浸润的发生率为16％(11,／68)。淋巴结微转移分别多发于肿瘤直径大于2cm(43％),凹陷型(48％),淋巴管侵犯(73％)和深度黏膜下侵犯(53％)的肿瘤。微浸润多发于低分化癌(33％)和深度黏膜下侵犯(31％)的肿瘤。5年生存率在没有微转移的患者为100％,有微转移的患者为82％,有微浸润的患者为73％。结论 CK免疫组化检查在诊断微转移和微浸润上明显优于常规HE检查。淋巴结的微转移和原发灶的微浸润明显影响黏膜下胃癌患者预后。     

Survival of Early Gastric Cancer in a Specialized European Center. Which Lymphadenectomy Is Necessary?

Purpose A clinicopathological study of early gastric cancer has been carried out in a single experienced surgical unit to identify prognostic indicators for survival and factors related to lymph nodes metastasis and document a survival benefit of D2 gastrectomy. Methods A retrospective review of our database from January 1990 to December 2004 revealed 189 patients with early gastric cancer undergoing surgical resection with either D1 or D2 lymph node dissection. Clinicopathological factors analyzed included Lauren’s histological type, histological differentiation, size, mucosal versus submucosal invasion, venous invasion, number of lymph node involved, and extent of nodal dissection performed. Factors related to increased risk of nodal metastases and predicting 5- and 10-year disease-specific survival were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Median follow-up time was 77 months. Lymph node involvement was documented in 21.1% of patients. A D2 gastrectomy was performed in 56% of patients. The cumulative 10-year survival rate was 92.5%; it was strictly related to nodal metastases (p = .0014). Poor differentiation, size larger than 2 cm, and submucosal depth of invasion were related to increased risk of nodal metastases but not to decreased survival. Overall, 10-year survival after D2 gastrectomy was higher than after D1 gastrectomy (95 versus 87.5%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = .80). No survival benefit was documented for D2 gastrectomy in subsets of patients with increased risk of nodal metastasis. Conclusion In this retrospective analysis a survival benefit of D2 gastrectomy was not documented either in the overall population or in subset analyses of patients with increased risk of nodal metastasis.     

Distribution of Lymph Node Metastasis Including Micrometastasis in Gastric Cancer with Submucosal Invasion

Abstract The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyze the distribution of lymph node metastases, including micrometastases, according to the location of the gastric cancer with submucosal invasion. A total of 118 patients with submucosal gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. The distribution of lymph node metastases was examined according to tumor location. Immunohistochemical examination using anti-cytokeratin antibody was performed to examine nodal micrometastases in 118 patients. Lymph node metastasis was found in 19.5% (23/118) of the patients. Significant differences were found for tumor size and depth, lymphatic invasion, and venous invasion for patients with and without nodal metastasis. The distribution of lymph node metastasis for tumors at upper or middle portions of the stomach was mainly found along the left gastric artery. The distribution of lymph node metastasis for tumors in the lower and lesser curvature varied. Immunohistochemical analysis found that 15 of 23 patients with lymph node metastasis found by histologic examination had micrometastases. The presence of two or more lymph node micrometastases was found in these 15 patients, and they were distributed in another stations, including distant nodes. The incidence of micrometastasis was 24.2% (23/95) in pN0 patients. Lymph node micrometastases were confined to regional nodes near the primary tumor. When planning minimally invasive treatment for submucosal gastric cancer, it is important to understand the distribution of lymph node metastasis, including micrometastasis, according to tumor location.     

Appropriate lymph node dissection for early gastric cancer based on lymph node metastases

BACKGROUND: Lymph node dissection in patients with early gastric cancer is controversial because lymph node metastases are much less common than in advanced cancer. Therefore, routine extensive lymph node dissection with wide resection of the stomach may be excessive, and an appropriate lymph node dissection procedure in patients with early gastric cancer should be established. METHODS: Retrospectively, 588 consecutive patients with early gastric cancer were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis to predict lymph node metastases with clinicopathologic variables. The sites and rates of lymph node metastases for each tumor location were mapped. RESULTS: In early gastric cancer, depth of invasion was an independent predictive factor of lymph node metastases. In cancer confined to the mucosa, however, tumor diameter was the only predictive factor. In contrast, tumor diameter, macroscopic appearance, and histologic type were not predictive factors in early gastric cancers invading the submucosa. In mucosal cancer, metastasis to lymph nodes was confined to the paragastric lymph nodes on the same side of the stomach as the tumor. In submucosal cancer, the incidence of lymph node metastasis was 2% to 17% in group 1 and 1% to 3% in group 2 lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: In mucosal cancer, lymph node dissection is unnecessary for tumors measuring less than 30 mm, and limited lymph node dissection with local gastrectomy is appropriate when tumor diameters are 30 mm or greater. In submucosal cancer, gastrectomy with dissection of group 1 and some group 2 lymph nodes should be sufficient to remove all nodal metastases.     

Evaluation of endoscopic mucosal resection for superficial esophageal carcinoma

Esophageal superficial carcinoma safely can be resected surgically or endoscopically. We evaluated indications for endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and optimal treatment modality for superficial carcinoma of the esophagus based on clinical and pathologic analyses. Between January 1, 1984, and September 30, 1999, 113 patients with superficial cancer of the esophagus underwent surgical or endoscopic resection (n = 33 patients, 36 lesions). The two-channel method, esophageal EMR-tube method or EMR cap-fitted panendoscope was used. Mucosal and submucosal cancers were classified to be epithelial layer (m1), proper mucosal layer (m2), muscularis mucosae (m3), upper third of the submucosal level (sm1), middle third of the submucosal layer (sm2), or the lower third of the submucosal level (sm3) cancers, according to criteria of the Japanese Society for Esophageal Disease. Absolute indication for EMR was restricted to m1 or m2 cancers, and relative indications for EMR included m3 or sm1 lesions. In our department, indications for EMR were not related to size or circumference of lesions. Lymph vessel invasion and lymph node metastasis markedly increased in lesions that infiltrated the lamina muscularis mucosa (m3). All lesions resected with use of EMR were 0-II (flat), and the depth of invasion in 10 0-IIa or 0-IIb lesions was m1 or m2. Twenty-one 0-IIc lesions were distributed widely from m1 to sm1. All 0-IIa+IIc lesions were m3 or sm1. Preoperative diagnosis accurately was established preoperatively in 61% of patients. Complications related to EMR were detected in 21% of patients and included perforation, stenosis, and hemorrhage. Ten patients also received radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or esophagectomy with lymph node dissection after use of EMR. No such combination therapy was administered in six patients with m3 lesions, but without lymph vessel invasion. All patients treated with use of EMR, including patients with m3 cancer who did not receive additional treatment, are living without recurrence. Local resection with use of EMR could be regarded to be the preferred treatment of superficial esophageal cancers limited to the lamina propria mucosae. Endoscopic mucosal resection also could be regarded to be the preferred treatment of m3 cancer without lymph vessel invasion. Use of additional therapy, such as radiotherapy, allows the use of EMR for m3 cancer with lymph vessel invasion or sm1 cancers.     

Carcinomatous Lymphatic Invasion in Early Gastric Cancer Invading Into the Submucosa

Background: Lymphatic invasion is a risk factor for lymph node metastases in patients with gastric cancer. No studies have been reported, however, on the correlation between lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer invading into the submucosa.Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of lymphatic invasion in 170 patients with early gastric cancer invading into the submucosa.Results: Lymphatic invasion was found in 76 patients. Lymphatic invasion correlated significantly with the presence of lymph node metastasis and vascular invasion (P < .05) and with the degree of cancerous submucosal involvement (P < .05). The presence of lymph node metastasis also correlated with the grade of submucosal invasion and lymphatic invasion. The 5-year survival of patients with lymphatic invasion was poorer than that of patients without lymphatic invasion (P < .05). Node-negative patients had similar survival, regardless of the presence of lymphatic invasion. All patients with severe lymphatic invasion had sm3 invasion and lymph node metastases.Conclusion: Although lymphatic invasion is the first stage of lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion in itself does not have clinical importance except for severe invasion in early gastric cancer. It is possible to predict lymph node metastases from the combined evaluation of degree of lymphatic invasion and submucosal involvement of the tumor in patients with early gastric cancer invading into the submucosa.     

Surgical Indication for Non-curative Endoscopic Resection in Early Gastric Cancer

Background Endoscopic resection (ER) is an effective treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) without lymph node metastasis. However, after ER additional surgery may be needed to manage the risks presented by residual cancer or lymph node metastasis. Methods ER was performed on 344 gastric adenocarcinomas between November 2001 and April 2006 at the Korean National Cancer Center under the strict pre-procedural indication. The authors performed operations in 43 patients due to: residual mucosal cancer, a mucosal cancer larger than 3 cm, or a submucosal cancer regardless of size or margin involvement. ER and surgical specimens were reviewed and analyzed for residual cancer and lymph node metastasis. Results Based on examinations of ER specimens, cancer was confined to the mucosal layer in 15 patients (34.9%) and invaded the submucosal layer in 28 patients (65.1%). Surgical specimens showed residual cancer in 17 patients (39.5%) and lymph node metastasis in four (9.3%). Neither residual cancer nor lymph node metastasis was found in patients with less than 500 μm submucosal invasion without margin involvement in ER specimens. In three of four patients with lymph node metastasis, the depth of submucosal invasion was 500 μm or more; the remaining patient had a 4-cm-sized differentiated mucosal cancer. Conclusions When a pathologic evaluation of an ER specimen reveals more than 500 μm of submucosal invasion or a mucosal cancer of larger than 3 cm, surgery should be considered due to the risk of lymph node metastasis.     

Risk factors predictive of lymph node metastasis in depressed early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to identify risk factors predictive of regional lymph node metastasis in depressed early gastric cancer and further to establish an objective criterion useful to indicate additional surgical treatment in cases in which submucosal tumor extension becomes evident by endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). METHODS: Data from 276 patients surgically treated for depressed early gastric cancer were collected, and the relationship between the patient and tumor characteristics, and the lymph node metastasis was retrospectively evaluated by multivariate analysis. RESULTS: In the multivariate logistic regression model, female sex, a larger tumor size (20 mm or more), submucosal invasion, and presence of lymphatic vessel involvement were found to be independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis. Among 145 patients with submucosally invasive carcinoma, no lymph node metastasis was observed in patients who showed none of the other three risk factors, whereas 14.3% and 23.3% of patients with one and two of these factors had lymph node metastasis, respectively. The lymph node metastasis rate was calculated to be 86.7% in patients who had all three factors. CONCLUSIONS: Submucosal invasion, female sex, tumor size of 20 mm or more, and lymphatic vessel involvement were significantly and independently related to the presence of lymph node metastasis in depressed early gastric cancer. The positive number of the latter three risk factors is a simple criterion to indicate additional surgical treatment in cases with submucosal invasion revealed first by EMR.     

Recurrence in early gastric cancer

In a retrospective study of 503 cases of early gastric cancer, 17 of the patients had died of a recurrence of the gastric cancer and 72 had died of unrelated causes. The cumulative recurrence mortality rates were 2.2% at 9 years for mucosal cancer and 8.4% at 8 years for submucosal cancer. The recurrence patterns of early gastric cancer were hematogenic metastasis to the liver, lung, or bone (nine cases), recurrence from lymph nodes (three cases), and recurrence in the residual stomach (five cases). Submucosal cancers with a macroscopically elevated appearance, lymph node metastasis, and evidence of vessel invasion were the high-risk cancers for hematogenic recurrence, and adjuvant chemotherapy should be prescribed. Two cases of lymph node recurrence were attributed to inadequacy of lymph node dissection. Because metastasis to the group 2 lymph nodes was noted in 1.5% of cases of early gastric cancer and a macroscopic diagnosis of nodal status was inaccurate, complete dissection should be performed regardless of identification of metastasis. Five cases of recurrence in the residual stomach were attributed to overlooked lesions of multiple carcinoma and were detected at an advanced stage. Careful and regular postoperative follow-up is required to detect these recurrences at an early stage.     

Characterization of early gastric cancer and proposal of the optimal therapeutic strategy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The optimal protocol of the treatment for early gastric cancer has not been fully established. The current study was designed to elucidate the relationship between the depth of tumors with or without an ulcer and the presence of lymph node metastasis and to establish the optimal and practical therapeutic strategy for patients with early gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 1051 patients with early gastric cancer treated by gastrectomy with D1 or D2 lymph node dissection was performed. The patients were divided into those with mucosal (M) tumors and those with submucosal (SM) tumors. These 2 groups were subclassified, depending on the coexistence of ulcer or the degree of submucosal invasion, and were characterized in relation to clinicopathologic factors and 5-year prognosis. RESULTS: The incidence of lymph node metastases from SM tumors (19.8%, 85 of 430) was more frequent than that from M tumors (2.3%, 14 of 621) (P <.001). All M tumors with lymph node involvement, including tumors smaller than 1.5 cm in diameter, had ulceration or ulceration scar in the lesions. SM tumors that had invaded less than 200 microm in depth (SM1a) had significantly less lymph node involvement than those with deeper invasion. The node metastases were confined to epigastric lymph nodes (N1) in both M tumors with ulceration or ulceration scar and SM1a tumors. CONCLUSIONS: All macroscopic M tumors without ulceration or ulceration scar should be considered for endoscopic mucosal resection. The need for reoperation for a formal gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy or a limited surgical operation will vary depending on the pathologic analysis of endoscopic mucosal resection specimens (depth of invasion, presence of ulceration).     

Micrometastasis in lymph nodes and microinvasion of the muscularis propria in primary lesions of submucosal gastric cancer

BACKGROUND: It is important to clarify the clinicopathologic characteristics of micrometastasis in lymph nodes and microinvasion in primary lesions for the treatment options with regard to submucosal gastric cancer. METHODS: We examined 1945 lymph nodes and 68 primary tumors resected from 79 patients with submucosal gastric cancer. Two consecutive sections were prepared for simultaneous staining with ordinary hematoxylin and eosin and immunostaining with anticytokeratin antibody (CAM 5.2), respectively. RESULTS: The incidence of nodal involvement in 79 patients with submucosal gastric cancer increased from 13% (10/79 patients) by hematoxylin and eosin staining to 34% (27/79 patients) by cytokeratin immunostaining. Micrometastases in the lymph nodes were found in 17 of 69 patients (25%), with cancer-free nodes examined by hematoxylin and eosin. Microinvasion to the muscularis propria was found in 11 of 68 patients (16%) who were histologically diagnosed with submucosal gastric cancer. Survival analysis demonstrated a lesser 5-year survival in the patients with micrometastasis in lymph nodes (82%) and with microinvasion to muscularis propria (73%). A high incidence of nodal involvement was found in submucosal cancers of large size (> 2 cm; 43%), a depressed type (48%), lymphatic invasion (73%), and deeper submucosal invasion (submucosal 3, 53%). A higher incidence of microinvasion was found with the diffuse-type carcinoma (33%). CONCLUSIONS: Cytokeratin immunostaining is useful for detecting micrometastasis and microinvasion in submucosal gastric cancer. Tumor size, macroscopic type, lymphatic invasion, and the depth of submucosal invasion are strongly associated with lymph node involvement.     

Local excision of stratified T1 rectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Local excision has been accepted therapy for T1 rectal cancers. A recent study demonstrated that primary tumors with deeper submucosal invasion were associated with a higher rate of lymph node metastases than those with shallow invasion. Our aim was to determine the effect of the depth of submucosal penetration on recurrence and mortality rates following transrectal excision of T1 tumors. METHODS: This was a 34-year retrospective review of patients who had transrectal excision with clear margins for T1 rectal cancer. Tumors were stratified into submucosal (SM) levels, and recurrence and mortality rates were determined. RESULTS: Of 101 patients with T1 rectal cancer undergoing local excision, 31 had a full-thickness transrectal excision. Eight (26%) of the 31 patients developed a local recurrence, 2 of whom had both a local and distant recurrence. Four patients (13%) died from metastatic rectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence rate for transrectal excision of T1 rectal cancer is high. It may be beneficial for patients with early rectal cancer to have postoperative chemoradiation therapy or a more radical surgical procedure.     

Prognostic factors after oesophagectomy and extended lymphadenectomy for squamous oesophageal cancer

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of patients without nodal metastasis of oesophageal cancer is generally good, but recurrence develops in some cases. METHODS: Data on 88 consecutive patients with squamous oesophageal cancer who underwent three-field lymph node dissection from 1986 to September 1998 and who had no evidence of nodal disease were reviewed retrospectively. Disease status was based on histological examination of the section of each node with the largest surface area, stained with haematoxylin and eosin. RESULTS: The 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients without lymph node metastasis were 85 and 81 per cent respectively, better than in patients with metastasis. Twelve patients died from recurrence. Recurrence was haematogenous in nine patients and locoregional in three. Survival was worse in men, for patients with lesions located in the upper thoracic oesophagus, and in those with lymphatic or blood vessel invasion. Only the presence of lymphatic invasion correlated with survival on multivariate analysis (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Although survival was generally good in patients without nodal metastasis from oesophageal cancer following three-field lymph node dissection, patients with lymphatic invasion remained at risk for haematogenous dissemination.     

Lymphatic invasion, tumor size, and age are independent predictors of axillary lymph node metastases in women with T1 breast cancers

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics of the primary tumor highly associated with lymph node metastases. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Recent enthusiasm for limiting axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in women with breast cancer may increase the likelihood that nodal metastases will be missed. Identification of characteristics of primary tumors predictive of lymph node metastases may prompt a more extensive surgical and pathologic search for metastases in patients with negative sentinel lymph nodes or limited ALND. METHODS: The authors studied 850 consecutive patients who underwent ALND for T1 breast cancer. Age, tumor size, histopathologic diagnosis, tumor differentiation, presence of lymphatic invasion, and estrogen and progesterone receptor results were studied prospectively. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify variables independently associated with axillary lymph node metastases. RESULTS: Lymphatic invasion, tumor size, and age were independently associated with lymph node metastases. Fifty-one percent of the 181 patients with lymphatic invasion had axillary lymph node metastases, compared with 19% of the 669 patients without lymphatic invasion. Thirty-five percent of the 470 patients with tumors >1 cm had nodal involvement compared with 13% of the 380 patients with smaller cancers. Thirty-seven percent of the 63 women younger than age 40 had lymph node involvement compared with 25% of the 787 women older than age 40. Significant correlations were noted between lymphatic invasion and patient age and between lymphatic invasion and tumor size. The proportion of tumors with lymphatic invasion decreased progressively with increasing age and increased with increasing tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: Axillary lymph node metastases are most significantly related to lymphatic invasion in the primary tumor, followed, in order of significance, by tumor size and patient age. Axillary nodal metastases should be suspected in the presence of lymphatic invasion of large tumors in young patients.     

Clinicopathological features of early gastric cancer: results of 100 cases from a rural general hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate 100 patients with early gastric cancer from the point of view of early detection, clinicopathological variables, and long term results. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Rural general hospital, Japan. SUBJECTS: 100 patients with early gastric cancer (confined to the epithelium, lamina propria, or submucosa) out of a total of 197 who had gastric cancers resected for cure between May 1986 and April 1996. INTERVENTIONS: Subtotal gastrectomy (n = 87), total gastrectomy (n = 8), proximal gastrectomy (n = 2), and local wedge resection (n = 3). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Histopathological features and outcome. RESULTS: The mean annual incidence of early gastric cancer was 51% (range 35%-70%). 16/59 patients with mucosal cancer (37%) and 18/41 with submucosal cancer (44%) presented with symptoms of the disease. The diagnosis was made in 62 by endoscopy, and in only 2 by upper gastrointestinal radiographic examination. None of the 59 with mucosal cancer had lymphatic invasion, and only 1 had a lymph node metastasis. Among the 41 with submucosal cancer, however, 15 had lymphatic invasion (37%), 13 had venous invasion (32%), and 2 had lymph node metastases (5%). 83 patients were alive with no sign of recurrence at the time of writing (median follow up 62 months, range 12-136). One patient with a tumour that produced alpha-fetoprotein died of hepatic metastases 23 months after subtotal gastrectomy. 9 patients developed second cancers, and 6 died of these with no signs of recurrence of early gastric cancer. The overall 5 and 10 year survival rates were 82% and 66%, and the corresponding disease-specific survival rates for 85 patients were both 98%. CONCLUSIONS: Excellent long term results can be achieved in the treatment of early gastric cancer, even in a non-specialist centre. Patients with early gastric cancer should have their alpha-fetoprotein concentration measured, and be examined for the presence of other malignant disease both before and after treatment of the gastric cancer.