Gastric Cancer
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 28, 2006; 12(8): 1182-1186
Published online Feb 28, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i8.1182
Prognostic factors in patients with node-negative gastric carcinoma: A comparison with node-positive gastric carcinoma
Dong Yi Kim, Kyeung Won Seo, Jae Kyoon Joo, Young Kyu Park, Seong Yeob Ryu, Hyeong Rok Kim, Young Jin Kim, Shin Kon Kim
Dong Yi Kim, Kyeung Won Seo, Jae Kyoon Joo, Young Kyu Park, Seong Yeob Ryu, Hyeong Rok Kim, Young Jin Kim, Shin Kon Kim, Division of Gastroenterologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr Dong Yi Kim, Division of Gastroenterologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. dockim@jnu.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-62-2206450 Fax: +82-62-2271635
Received: September 2, 2005
Revised: September 29, 2005
Accepted: October 9, 2005
Published online: February 28, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To identify the clinicopathological characteristics of lymph node-negative gastric carcinoma, and also to evaluate outcome indicators in the lymph node-negative patients.

METHODS: Of 2848 gastric carcinoma patients, 1524 (53.5%) were lymph node-negative. A statistical analysis was performed using the Cox model to estimate outcome indicators.

RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the recurrence rate between lymph node-negative and lymph node-positive patients (14.4% vs 41.0%, P < 0.001). The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in lymph node-positive than in lymph node-negative patients (31.1% vs 77.4%, P < 0.001). Univariate analysis revealed that the following factors influenced the 5-year survival rate: patient age, tumor size, depth of invasion, tumor location, operative type, and tumor stage at initial diagnosis. The Cox proportional hazard regression model revealed that tumor size, serosal invasion, and curability were independent, statistically significant, prognostic indicators of lymph node-negative gastric carcinoma.

CONCLUSION: Lymph node-negative patients have a favorable outcome attributable to high curability, but the patients with relatively large tumors and serosal invasion have a poor prognosis. Curability is one of the most reliable predictors of long-term survival for lymph node-negative gastric carcinoma patients.

Keywords: Gastric carcinoma; Survival; Tumor size; Serosal invasion; Curability