Abstract

The frequency of lymph node metastasis according to sex, age, presence or absence of clinical symptoms, duration of symptoms, location and size of tumor, gross and histologic type, and depth of invasion was analysed in 269 patients with early gastric cancer who were surgically treated at the Department of Surgery, Kyungpook National University between 1982 and 1993. Metastases were present in the dissected lymph nodes of 24 patients(8.9%). Among nine factors, size of tumor(p=0.002) and depth of invasion(p=0.010) correlated significantly with node involvement. Other seven factors revealed not statistically significant differences. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in five year survival rates(82.9% vs. 94.0%) and ten year survival rates(82.9% vs. 90.6%) between patients with and without lymph node metastases(p = 0.022). Tumors which satisfy the following criteria may not metastasize to lymph nodes: (1) confined to the mucosa: (2) less than 2 cm in diameter; (3) macroscopic type I, IIa and IIb. It can be concluded that early gastric cancer which satisfies above criteria can be treated by minimal local procedures such as endoscopic treatment or laparoscopic wedge resection.

• Keywords: Early gastic cancer, Lymph node metastasis, Minimal surgery, Endoscopic treatment