ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Nodal status represents probably the most important determinant of gastric cancer prognosis. The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of the primary tumor's T stage on lymph node harvesting after D1 resections for gastric cancer. METHODS: Between January 2000 and January 2012, the medical files of patients who presented to our department with the diagnosis of gastric cancer and were submitted to a gastric resection with curative intent were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 134 gastric cancer patients (mean age 67.36±9.64 - 35 females and 99 males) were submitted to a gastrectomy in our department (total or subtotal) with curative intent. The distribution of the tumors within the stomach was as follows: upper third - 37 patients, middle third - 49 patients and lower third - 46 patients. RESULTS: Lymph node retrieval was superior in advanced T stage patients (T3,T4a/T4b) compared to their low T stage (T1a/T1b,T2) counterparts (p=0.0008). Similar findings were encountered when the comparison was reduced to the subtotal gastrectomy subgroup (p=0.0047). However, although there was a distinct trend, statistical significance was not reached for the patient group submitted to total gastrectomy (p=0.1088). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study seem to add another value i.e. tumor's T stage in the equation of lymph node retrieval in gastric cancer resection specimens. Lymph node retrieval in gastric cancer patients appeared to be dependent to the primary tumors T stage in the given patient sample.
