Prognostic significance of immunohistochemical micrometastases in node negative gastric cancer patients

• Published in: Journal of surgical oncology Vol. 73; no. 3; pp. 153 - 157
• Main Authors: Harrison, Lawrence E., Choe, Jiw K., Goldstein, Marsha, Meridian, Ara, Kim, Steve H., Clarke, Kevin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.03.2000; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Female; gastric cancer; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; immunohistochemical; Immunohistochemistry; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prognosis; prognostic markers; Retrospective Studies; Stomach Neoplasms - mortality; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Stomach, duodenum, intestine, rectum, anus; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the digestive system; Survival Rate; Tumors; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Stomach; Prognosis; Lymph node; Stage classification; Metastasis; Malignant tumor; Pathology; Sensitivity; Surgery; Decision aid; Digestive diseases; Comparative study; Gastric disease
• ISSN: 0022-4790; 1096-9098
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9098(200003)73:3<153::AID-JSO8>3.0.CO;2-4

Background and Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the prognostic significance of immunohistochemical (IHC) evidence of lymph node (LN) metastases in histologic node negative gastric cancer patients. Methods Retrospective review from 1981 to 1998 revealed 25 patients resected for T1‐4N0M0 gastric and gastroesophageal (GE) junction adenocarcinoma. All cases were reviewed and histopathologic parameters were defined for each primary tumor. All LNs underwent IHC analysis with the epithelial marker CAM 5.2. Data are reported as median (range). Results The median number of LN resected was 7 (range 1–33). The median follow‐up time was 25 months (range 4–195) with an overall 5‐year survival rate of 55%. For patients with IHC evidence of LN micrometastasis (n = 9), the 5‐year survival rate was significantly decreased (35%) compared to a 66% 5‐year survival rate for IHC negative patients (n = 16, P = 0.05). Conclusions The presence of IHC‐detected LN micrometastases correlates with worse prognosis for patients with histologic node negative gastric cancer. IHC may be a useful additional staging modality in this subset of patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2000;73:153–157. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.