ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The presence of metastases in lymph nodes is an important prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer. Currently, the total number of metastatic lymph nodes (MLN) is thought to be more prognostically significant than the anatomical distribution of MLN. METHODOLOGY: The associations of the total number of MLN and of the number of perigastric (PG) MLN with long-term survival were retrospectively evaluated using uni- and multivariate analysis in 481 nodepositive gastric cancer patients who underwent potentially curative resections. RESULTS: The number of PG MLN was a better prognostic indicator than the total number of MLN (indices of correlation 0.2908 and 0.3424, respectively). Good surgical results were obtained in patients with 5 PG MLN or fewer. CONCLUSIONS: The number of perigastric metastatic lymph nodes is a more conveniently obtained and reliable prognostic factor than the total number of metastatic lymph nodes in patients with node-positive gastric cancer.
Subject(s)
Lymph Nodes/pathology , Stomach Neoplasms/mortality , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Adult , Aged , Female , Gastrectomy , Humans , Lymph Node Excision , Lymphatic Metastasis , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Stomach , Stomach Neoplasms/surgery , Survival RateABSTRACT
We have used two methods for education of pathology at the Yokohama City University School of Medicine: 1) clinicopathological conferences on autopsy cases and 2) journal club using “Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital” published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Both methods are extremely effective for stimulating students' enthusiasm for learning, improving presentation skills, and consolidating the minds of students as future medical staff members. Furthermore, journal club enhances the affinity for reading medical English.
