Clinicopathologic Features in T2 Gastric Cancer

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the clinicopathologic features and survival rates for patients with T2 stage gastric cancer. METHODS: Ninety-six patients with T2 gastric cancer, were treated by radical gastrectomy (and D2 lymph node dissection) at Department of Surgery of Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine from April 1996 to October 1998. We retrospectively analyzed age, gender, tumor site, tumor size, type of resection, histopathologic classification(WHO classification and Lauren classification), Borrmann type, TNM stage, blood type, perineural invasion, angioinvasion, lymphatic invasion and the survival rate. The survival rate was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method using the SPSS statistical program, and the other statistical analyses were performed using the cross table Chi-square test and the independent sample t-test. RESULTS: Lymph node metastasis was found in 39 patients (40.6%). There were no significant differences except for the Borrmann type, tumor size, angioinvasion and lymphatic invasion for the T2 gastric cancer with regard to patient age, gender, the histopathologic classification (WHO classification and Lauren classification), the type of resection, tumor site, blood type and perineural invasion. The 5 year survival rate for T2 gastric cancer patients was 82.3%. The TNM stage and angioinvasion were significant prognostic factors on the univariate analysis, but the TNM stage was a significant prognostic factor on the multivariate analysis (Relative risk; 10.943, P=0.001). CONCLUSION: The Borrmann type, tumor size, angioinvasion and lymphatic invasion were useful indicators of lymph node metastasis for T2 gastric cancer. The TNM stage was the only significant prognostic factor for T2 gastric cancer.