Lymph node micrometastases in negative no11P lymph nodes by conventional pathology in patients of lower third gastric cancer / 中华普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the status of lymph node micrometastases in "non-metastatic" No11P lymph nodes as judged by conventional pathology in the lower third of gastric cancer. Methods In this study 43 No11P lymph nodes harvested from 43 patients which was histologically free of metastasis were examined by consecutive sections and TRAP( telomeric repeat amplification protocol)-ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay). The data were statistically analyzed according to the clinicopathological features of the patients. Results Micrometastasis was discovered in 4 lymph nodes from 4 patients by consecutive sections. The micrometastatic rate of the conventional pathologic non-metastatic No11P lymph nodes was 9%. The micrometastatic rate of the conventional pathologic non-metastasis No11P lymph nodes detected by TRAP-ELISA was 44%, including 4 lymph nodes observed by consecutive sections It revealed that lymph nodes micrometastases were correlated with the size of the tumor( x2 = 8. 488, P < 0. 05 )、and tumor stage (x2 = 12. 022,P < 0. 05 ). It also showed that the micrometastatic rate increased proportionally to tumor infiltration depth(x2 =6. 473, P <0. 05), not correlated with patients' demographic features, general type and histological differentiation of the tumor. Conclusions There was a high rate of micrometastasis in No11P lymph nodes. This lymph nodes micrometastasis was correlated with the size of the tumor, invasion depth of primary tumor and patients' clinical stage.