Objective: To investigate the distribution pathway of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in middle third gastric carci-noma, as the foundation for rational lymphadenectomy. Methods: 52 cases of middle third tumors with solitary lymph nodes from 1852 gastric carcinomas were selected. The locations and histological types of metastatic lymph nodes were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Of 52 solitary node metastases cases, 37 were limited to perigastric nodes (N1), while 15 with skipping metastasis. In the 35 cases with tumor of lesser curvature, there were 17 cases found lymph nodes of the lesser curvature side (No. 3), 5 cases involved lymph nodes of the greater curvature (No. 4), and 8 cases with lymph nodes of the left gastric artery (No. 7). In the 17 cases with tumor of greater curvature, 7 cases spread to No. 4, while 3 metastasized to lymph nodes of the spleen hilum (No. 10). The difference of the histological types in groups N1 and over N1, were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Adjacent metastasis formed the primary distribution pattern of SLN in middle third gastric carcinoma, transversal and skipping metastases being also notable.
OBJECTIVE To identify clinicopathological characteristics as predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in submucosal gastric cancer, and in addi- tion to establish objective criteria as indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). METHODS Data from 130 patients with submucosal gastric cancer were collected, and the relationship between their clinicopathological characteris- tics and the presence of lymph node metastasis was retrospectively analyzed by multivariate analysis. RESULTS In the multivariate logistic regression model, a tumor size of 2 cm or more and an undifferentiated histologic type were found to be inde- pendent risk clinicopathological characteristics for lymph node metastasis. Among 130 patients with submucosal carcinoma, no lymph node metastases were observed in 17 patients who showed neither of the two risk clinicopath- ological characteristics. Lymph node metastasis occurred in 61.1% (22/36) of the patients who had both risk clinicopathological characteristics. CONCLUSION A tumor size of 2 cm or more and an undifferentiated histologic type were significantly and independently related to lymph node metastasis in submucosal gastric cancer. It is rational for the paitients with neither of these two independent risk clinicopathological characteristics to undergo an ESD.
Caigang Liu Ping Lu Yang Lu Lua Li Ruishan Zhang Huimian Xu Shubao Wang Junqing Chen
