Lymphatic vascular invasion is an independent correlated factor for lymph node metastasis and the prognosis of resectable T2 gastric cancer patients.

The objective of this study was to investigate the independent correlated factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) and prognosis in T2 gastric cancer patients. A total of 135 pathologically confirmed T2 gastric cancer patients who received a gastrectomy at the Beijing University Cancer Hospital from Dec 1999 to Dec 2006 were studied retrospectively. The potential correlated factors for LNM and patients' prognosis were analyzed, including gender, age, tumor location and size, depth of invasion, lymphatic vascular invasion (LVI), differentiation grade, histological type, Borrmann type, LNM, distant metastasis, TNM stage, and whether the patient was treated with a radical gastrectomy. LNM occurred in 69 patients, which represents a rate of LNM of 51.1 %. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that LVI and TNM stage were independent risk factors for LNM (p values were 0.002 and 0.029, respectively). The median follow-up time was 60.3 months. Multivariable survival analysis revealed that age (<60 vs. ≥ 60), TNM stage and LVI were independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer patients (p values were <0.001, 0.047, and 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, LVI was an independent factor for LNM and the prognosis of resectable T2 gastric cancer patients.