Survival of Node-Positive Mucosal Gastric Carcinoma Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The presence or absence of lymph node metastasis is significantly associated with the survival of patients with gastric carcinoma. We compared node-positive and node-negative mucosal gastric carcinoma patients to identify the clinicopathological characteristics of node-positive mucosal gastric carcinoma. We also evaluated the variables associated with lymph node metastasis and survival in this group of patients. METHODS: Of the 580 mucosal gastric carcinoma patients, 32 (5.5%) were node-positive. A statistical analysis using the Cox model was performed to determine the factors that can predict the patients' outcomes. RESULTS: The mean tumor size was significantly larger in the patients with node-positive mucosal gastric carcinoma than that in the node-negative patients (3.3 vs. 1.8 cm; P0.05). Using the Cox proportional hazard regression model, tumor size was an independent statistically significant parameter associated with lymph node metastasis (risk ratio 4.70, 95% confidence interval 1.20 to 18.35; P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Tumor size is the most reliable predictor of lymph node metastasis for patients with node-positive mucosal gastric carcinoma. Nevertheless, a large tumor size is not associated with a poor outcome for patients with node-positive mucosal gastric carcinoma. The patients with node-positive mucosal gastric carcinoma showed good survival rates after undergoing gastrectomy and extensive node dissection.