BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite carrying better overall prognoses, some node-negative gastric cancer patients die from recurrent malignancies. Identifying factors associated with disease-specific survival in adequately staged node-negative gastric cancer is important, as these patients are presumably free of microscopic regional metastases and may derive significant benefit from existing or future adjuvant strategies. METHODS: To investigate significant prognostic indicators in node-negative advanced gastric cancer patients, we reviewed 777 advanced gastric cancer patients who had undergone curative gastrectomies. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate of node-negative advanced gastric cancer patients is 84.9%, which is significantly better than that of patients with lymph node metastasis. Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size, histology, and depth of invasion are independent prognostic factors. The 5-year survival rate of patients with larger tumors (>or=7 cm), poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and serosal invasion was 49.1%, which was significantly worse that of patients with fewer or none of these factors. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size, histology, and the presence of serosal invasion are strong indicators of poor prognosis in node-negative advanced gastric cancer patients.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite carrying better overall prognoses, some node-negative gastric cancerpatients die from recurrent malignancies. Identifying factors associated with disease-specific survival in adequately staged node-negative gastric cancer is important, as these patients are presumably free of microscopic regional metastases and may derive significant benefit from existing or future adjuvant strategies. METHODS: To investigate significant prognostic indicators in node-negative advanced gastric cancerpatients, we reviewed 777 advanced gastric cancerpatients who had undergone curative gastrectomies. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate of node-negative advanced gastric cancerpatients is 84.9%, which is significantly better than that of patients with lymph node metastasis. Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size, histology, and depth of invasion are independent prognostic factors. The 5-year survival rate of patients with larger tumors (>or=7 cm), poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and serosal invasion was 49.1%, which was significantly worse that of patients with fewer or none of these factors. CONCLUSIONS:Tumor size, histology, and the presence of serosal invasion are strong indicators of poor prognosis in node-negative advanced gastric cancerpatients.