Clinicopathologic Features of the Superficial Spreading Type of Early Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: The superficial spreading type of early gastric cancer (SSE) has unique features such as its growth pattern and histologic aggressiveness. But its incidence rate is very low, so the clinicopathologic features of SSE are not well known. The aim of this study is to clarify the clinicopathologic features of the superficial spreading type of gastric cancer and we propose an appropriate treatment strategy with the proper treatment modality. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 894 surgically resected patients with early gastric cancer. The superficial spreading type was defined as a lesion more than 20 cm(2). The demographic features and histopathological features were analyzed by using the hospital records. The survival rate was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the other statistics were analyzed using the chi-square test. RESULTS: For the superficial and common groups, there were no significant differences in the rates of submucosal layer invasion, the histologic types and differentiation and the tumor location. But the ratio of lymph node metastasis was significantly different (P<0.05). There were some differences concerning the operative methods between the groups. For the superficial spreading type, the portion of total gastrectomy was greater than that of the common type. The average distance between the upper portion of the tumor and the proximal resection margin was shorter for the superficial spreading type than that for the common type (3.78+/-2.79 cm vs 5.58+/-2.79 cm, respectively). The 5 year survival rate and the recurrence rate between the two types were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Because of the higher rate of lymph node metastasis and the higher rate of an indistinct tumor margin, wide resection with adequate lymph node dissection (D1+beta or more) seems to be a proper operative method for the superficial spreading type of early gastric cancer.

Clinicopathological Analysis of a Superficial Spreading Type of Early Gastric Cancer

PUPOSE: The superficial spreading type of early gastric cancer has different clinicopathologic features from other types of early gastric cancer in terms of its invasiveness and lymph-node metastases. Therefore, we attempted to elucidate the pathological features, surgical procedures and patients prognoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical information was reviewed for patients who had undergone a gastrectomy for gastric cancer during an 8-year period (1995~2002) at Dankook University Hospital and Ulsan University, with an average follow-up of 48 months. Three hundred (300) superficial spreading lesions were analyzed with respect to macroscopic type, lymph-node (LN) metastasis, recurrent pattern, survival rate and method of surgical operation. In addition, the clinicopathological features of the superficial spreading type were compared with those of 739 other patients with small-sized cancer. RESULTS: In both groups, the IIc-type macroscopic lesion, the elevated subtype to be more specific, occurred most frequently. There was no significant difference in the method of surgery between the groups. The submucosal invasion was 39.8% in small-sized cancer, and 61.7% in superficial spreading cancer (P=0.005). The incidence of LN metastasis was 11.3% in early gastric cancer, 7.8% in small-sized cancer and 20.0% in superficial spreading cancer (P=0.005). The incidence of lymphatic invasion was 4.6% in small-sized cancer and 13.0% in superficial spreading cancer (P=0.009). The incidence of recurrence was 1.4% in small-sized cancer and 3.6% in superficial spreading cancer. The overall 5-year survival rate was 84.8% in superficial spreading cancer and 93.0% in small-sized cancer (P=0.052). The 5-year disease- free survival rate was 94.7% in superficial spreading cancer and 87.5% in small-sized cancer (P=0.053). CONCLUSION: The superficial spreading type of early gastric cancer tends to be more invasive and to show a higher incidence of lymph-node metastasis than small-sized early gastric cancer. A wide resection with extensive lymph-node dissection seems to be an appropriate treatment for a superficial spreading type of early gastric cancer.

Clinicopathological Analysis of Superficial Spreading and Small-sized Types of Early Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: The superficial spreading type of early gastric cancer has different clinicopathologic features from other types of early gastric cancers in terms of its invasiveness and lymph node metastases. Therefore, the clinicopathological features of the superficial spreading type and the small-sized early gastric cancers, were analyzed, and the influence of those features on the surgical procedures and prognosis was investigated. METHODS: During an 8-year period (1992~1999), 22 superficial spreading early gastric cancers were analyzed with respect to the macroscopic type, lymph node metas tasis, and the surgical procedure, and compared with those of 219 small-sized early gastric cancers. The superficial spreading type was defined as a lesion more than 5 5 cm and small-sized type, as a lesion less than 2 2 cm. The survival rate was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and those patients who died of diseases unrelated to gastric cancer were excluded. Other statistical analyses were performed using the chi-square test. RESULTS: Twenty two out of 369 (6%) early gastric cancers were the superficial spreading type. The incidence of a LN metastasis was 12.3% in early gastric cancer, 8.7% in the small-sized type, and 27.3% in the superficial spreading type. The incidence of a LN metastasis was greater in the superficial spreading type than in the small-sized type (P=0.006). The location of the lesions, the histological type, and the depth of the invasion in the superficial spreading and small-sized early gastric cancers were similar There was difference in the method of surgery and the extent of the lymph node dissection between two groups. CONCLUSION: Because the incidence of a lymph node meta stasis is higher in the superficial spreading type than in the small-sized early gastric cancer, a wide resection with an extensive lymph node dissection appears to be appropriate treatment for the superficial spreading type of early gastric cancer.