Outcome in relation to numbers of nodes harvested in lymph node-positive gastric cancer

Aims: We conducted a retrospective case-control study to compare the prognostic differences of lymph node-positive gastric cancer patients between dissected lymph nodes (DLNs) < 15 group and DLNs >= 15 group. Methods: A retrospective study of 323 lymph node-positive gastric patients who underwent potentially curative resection for gastric cancer was analyzed to identify the prognostic differences between DLNs < 15 group and DLNs >= 15 group. Of these patients, 49 patients with < 15 DLNs were matched with 147 patients with >= 15 DLNs according to gender, age, location of primary tumor, and type of gastrectomy. Results: Patients with n1 lymph node metastasis (according to JCGC), serosal involvement, ratio of positive lymph nodes less than 25%, or without adjuvant chemotherapy in >= 15 DLN group had comparatively longer median survival than patients with homologous clinicopathologic variables in < 15 DLN group, respectively. Patients with n1 stage lymph node metastasis, serosal involvement. non-intestinal Lauren classification, or without adjuvant chemotherapy in < 15 DLN group had higher recurrence rate than patients with homologous clinicopathologic variables in >= 15 DLN group, respectively. In addition. we demonstrated that patients with more than n1 stage lymph node metastasis in < 15 DLN,roup had higher rate of peritoneal dissemination than those with more than n1 lymph node metastasis in >= 15 DLN group. Conclusions: DNL >= 15 wits an important factor to improve the prognosis of lymph node-positive gastric cancer patients after potential curative resection. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.