Prognostic Effect of Micrometastasis in Serosa-Negative pNO Gastric Cancer

摘要

In order to assess the incidence of micrometastasis (MM) and their relevance on outcome 107 consecutive serosal-negative gastric cancer (GC) pNO were studied retrospectively. By means of immunohisto-chemical techniques, the presence of MM and Isolated Tumour Cells (ITC) was detected in 8.6 and 15.4% of pts, respectively. Out of 1817 nodes analysed, 34 (1.8%) were positive for MM and/or ITC. On multivariate analysis, clinico-pathological variables were unable to predict the occurrence of MM. Five-yr survival was similar for pNO and MM/ITC positive patients (pts) (log-rank test 0.26, p =0.37). Only radical lymphadenectomy independently influenced independently outcome on multivariate analysis (p= 0.044). Our results are not consistent with a clinical relevance of MM and/or ITC in GC pts.