Biopathologic features and clinical significance of micrometatasis in the lymph node of early gastric cancer

Table 1 Clinicopathologic features according to the classification of lymph node metastasis (n = 90)

	Micrometastasis	Macrometastasis	P value
	(n = 37)	(n = 53)
Age (yr)	56.9 ± 12.9	59.2 ± 11.1	0.377
Sex			0.665
Male	22 (59.5)	34 (64.2)
Female	15 (40.5)	19 (35.8)
Depth of invasion			0.966
Mucosa	5 (13.5)	7 (13.2)
Submucosa	32 (86.5)	46 (86.8)
Tumor size (cm)	4.7 ± 2.8	4.5 ± 2.0	0.652
Histology			0.522
Differentiated	18 (48.6)	30 (56.6)
Undifferentiated	19 (51.4)	23 (43.4)
Lauren classification			0.162
Intestinal	19 (51.4)	35 (66.0)
Diffuse, mixed	18 (48.6)	18 (34.0)
Lymphovascular invasion			0.832
Absent	17 (45.9)	23 (43.4)
Present	20 (54.1)	30 (56.6)
Metastatic LNs (n)	1.7 ± 1.3	2.2 ± 1.3	0.085
Japanese N2 station involvement1			0.338
No	26 (89.7)	34 (79.1)
Yes	3 (10.3)	9 (20.9)
Main tumor burden in LN (mm)	0.9 ± 0.5	4.6 ± 4.6	< 0.001
Pattern of metastasis in LNs			0.694
Single cluster	14 (37.8)	18 (34.0)
Multiple cluster	22 (59.5)	33 (62.3)
Diffuse	1 (2.7)	2 (3.8)
Location of metastasis in LNs			< 0.001
Marginal sinus	17 (45.9)	1 (1.9)
Non marginal sinus	20 (54.1)	52 (98.1)
Gastric resection			0.423
Open subtotal	27 (73.0)	40 (75.5)
Open total	2 (5.4)	6 (11.3)
LADG	8 (21.6)	7 (13.2)
Lymph node dissection			0.261
D1 + β	15 (40.5)	15 (28.3)
D2	22 (59.5)	38 (71.7)
Dissected LNs (n)	36.2 ± 11.1	38.6 ± 15.6	0.424
Adjuvant chemotherapy			0.503
No	11 (29.7)	20 (37.7)
Yes	26 (70.3)	33 (62.3)
Recurrence			0.041
Absent	37 (100)	47 (88.7)
Present	0 (0)	6 (11.3)

¹Available data only. Data are expressed as absolute numbers (percentage) or mean ± SD. LN: Lymph node; LADG: Laparoscopically assisted distal gastrectomy.