The Significance of Lymphatic, Venous, and Neural Invasion as Prognostic Factors in Patients with Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Some controversies exist over the prognostic values of lymphatic, venous, and neural invasion in patients with gastric cancer. This study was conducted to confirm the prognostic values of these histopathologic factors in gastric cancer patients who received a gastrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data for clinicopathologic factors and clinical outcomes were collected retrospectively from the medical records of 1,018 gastric cancer patients who received a gastrectomy at Yeungnam University Medical Center between January 1995 and December 1999. A statistical analysis was done using the SPSS program for Windows (Version 10.0, SPSS Inc., USA). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for the survival analysis. Prognostic factors were analyzed by using a multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: Ages ranged from 21 to 79 (median age, 56). A univariate analysis revealed that age, tumor size, location, gross type, depth of invasion, extent of gastrectomy or lymph node dissection, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, neural invasion, pathologic stage, histologic type, and curability of surgery had statistical significance. Among these factors, lymph node metastasis, curability of surgery, neural invasion, lymphatic invasion, and depth of invasion were found to be independent prognostic factors by using a multivariate analysis. Venous invasion showed no prognostic value in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Neural invasion and lymphatic invasion are useful parameters in determining a prognosis for gastric cancer patients.

The Significance of Lymphatic, Venous, and Neural Invasion as Prognostic Factors in Patients with Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Some controversies exist over the prognostic values of lymphatic, venous, and neural invasion in patients with gastric cancer. This study was conducted to confirm the prognostic values of these histopathologic factors in gastric cancer patients who received a gastrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data for clinicopathologic factors and clinical outcomes were collected retrospectively from the medical records of 1,018 gastric cancer patients who received a gastrectomy at Yeungnam University Medical Center between January 1995 and December 1999. A statistical analysis was done using the SPSS program for Windows (Version 10.0, SPSS Inc., USA). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for the survival analysis. Prognostic factors were analyzed by using a multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: Ages ranged from 21 to 79 (median age, 56). A univariate analysis revealed that age, tumor size, location, gross type, depth of invasion, extent of gastrectomy or lymph node dissection, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, neural invasion, pathologic stage, histologic type, and curability of surgery had statistical significance. Among these factors, lymph node metastasis, curability of surgery, neural invasion, lymphatic invasion, and depth of invasion were found to be independent prognostic factors by using a multivariate analysis. Venous invasion showed no prognostic value in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Neural invasion and lymphatic invasion are useful parameters in determining a prognosis for gastric cancer patients.

Prognostic Factors and Survival Rates of Stage III Gastric Cancer Patients after a Gastrectomy

PURPOSE: There have been some controversies over the therapeutic principles of advanced gastric cancer, and the results of treatment have been variable, especially for stage III disease. This study was conducted to define the prognostic factors of stage III gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was based on the medical records of 179 patients with stage III disease who received a gastrectomy from January 1990 to December 1994. The 5-year survival rate was analyzed according to the age, sex, tumor location, tumor size, Borrmann's type, depth of invasion, lymph-node metastasis, ratio of metastatic lymph nodes, type of surgical resection, extent of lymph- node dissection, curability of resection, postoperative chemotherapy, and pathological stage. The statistical analysis was done by using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival rate was 61.6%. the 5-year survival rates according to subgroup were 69.7% for stage IIIa (100% for T2N2, 70.0% for T3N1, 68.6% for T4N0), and 54.1% for stage IIIb (T3N2) (P<0.05). Among various clinicopathologic factors of stage III gastric cancer, the age of the patient, the tumor location, the gross type of tumor, the type of gastric resection, the extent of lymph-node dissection, the curability of resection, and the subgroups of stage III were statistically significant in the univariate survival analysis. The multivariate analysis defined the curability of resection, the extent of lymph-node dissection, the type of operation, the stage of disease, and the age of the patient as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: A curative surgical resection and an extended lymph-node dissection are thought to be most important for improving the survival rate in stage III gastric cancer patients.