Prognosis of pN3 Stage Gastric Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the prognosis of pN3 stage gastric cancer patients after they have undergone curative resection, and we also wanted to identify the prognostic factors according to the clinico-pathologic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2000 and December 2004, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the patients with histologically confirmed pN3 stage gastric cancer. They underwent both gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy with a curative aim. We categorized the pN3 stage patients into 2 groups; one with pN3 only (pN3M0) and the other with pN3 combined with M1 stage (pN3M1) that included peritoneal seeding, hepatic metastasis or para-aortic LN metastasis. RESULTS: Out of 467 patients with stage IV gastric adenocarcinoma who received surgery, 260 patients underwent curative resection and they were pathologically staged as N3. Among these 260 patients, 78 patients were classified as the pN3/M1 stage. For all the patients, the median follow-up period was 19 months (range: 1~108 months) and the median overall survival time was 16.2 months (95% CI, 14.1~18.3%). The 5-year survival rate of the pN3/M0 group was significantly higher than that of the pN3/M1 group (12.6% vs. 2.6%, respectively, p<0.0001). The identified predictor for a worse prognosis was an advanced T4 stage (HR: 3.38, 95% CI, 1.4~8.3, p=0.008) for the pN3 patients. CONCLUSION: The survival for the pN3 gastric cancer patients after curative gastrectomy was significantly longer in the pN3/M0 group as compared to that of the pN3/M1 group. An advanced T stage was a predictor for a poor prognosis for the pN3 patients. Therefore, diverse treatment strategies for these heterogeneous pN3 gastric cancer patients are needed for improving their survival.

What is the Prognosis for Early Gastric Cancer with pN Stage 2 or 3 at the Time of Pre-operation and Operation

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine whether it is possible to evaluate patients with pN2 or pN3 early gastric cancer (EGC) as being in an advanced stage before and during the operation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1,430 patients underwent a gastrectomy for cancer from 1990 to 2003. Eight of the 552 patients with EGC included pN2 or pN3. The estimated clinical and surgical stage before and during the operation were compared to the pathological results, and a follow-up of progression was done. RESULTS: The patients were evenly distributed among all age groups with seven men and one woman. The pre-operative estimate of T1 by CT was 25% (2/8). In the main, the cT stage was over estimated. The estimate of over N2 was 50% (4/8). One patient was preoperatively staged as Ia . sT1 during operation was 57.1% (4/7), and the estimate of over N2 was 67% (4/6). Two patients were intraoperatively evaluated as Ia. Only one patient survived over 5 years, and the mean survival of these patients was 15 months (95% CI: 0~35.5). CONCLUSION: It was generally possible to evaluate patients with EGC of over pN2 as being in an advanced stage before and during the operation. Although very rare (2/552, 0.04%), there were EGC patients whose stages were not predictable at all. Therefore, more precise preoperative and intraoperative staging methods are warranted.