A Study of Rational Dissection of Regional Lymph Node in Early Gastric Cancer

In the present study covering a total of 577 patients with single early gastric cancer treated by us during the past 14 years, we examined the possibility of rational operation. Where the cancers were of elevated type of I or Ila, in macroscopic observation and where the histological type was differentiated type, no metastasis to lymph node was observed with the tumor size being less than 30 mm. However, where the cancers were of depressed type of lie or IIc+III, metastasis to lymph node was observed with the tumor size being 10–14 mm or larger, regardless of histological type. Therefore, the indication of rational operation for early gastric cancer should be determined, considering macroscopic findings, histological type and the tumor size.