Among the 2,524 patients, 57 (2.2%) were diagnosed with lymph node metastasis, and of these, cancer staging was as follows 41 were N1, 8 were N2, and 8 were N3a. Univariate analysis of clinicopathological factors showed that the following factors were significant predictors of metastasistumor size larger than 4 cm, the presence of middle and lower stomach cancer, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and signet-ring cellcarcinoma, diffuse type cancer (by the Lauren classification), and lymphatic invasion. Multivariate analysis showed that lymphatic invasion and tumor larger than 4 cm were significant factors with P<0.001 and P=0.024, respectively.