Lymphovascular invasion as a predictor for lymph node metastasis and a prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients under 70 years of age: A retrospective analysis.
BACKGROUND
Accumulating evidence has confirmed the potential prognostic value of LVI in patients with cancers. This aim of the current study was to clarify the potential relationship between LVI and lymph node metastasis, establish predictive clinicopathologic prognostic factors for LVI and lymph node metastasis, and determine the prognostic significance of LVI for patients younger than 70 years with resected gastric cancer.


METHODS
Overall survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Differences in proportions of patients were tested with the χ2 test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to identify independent prognostic factors. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the risk factors predicting the presence of LVI and LN metastasis.


RESULTS
Univariate analysis led to the identification of tumor size, LVI and pN stage as factors significantly correlated with prognosis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that tumor size, LVI, pN stage, and number of LNs retrieved are independent prognostic factors for the entire population. Logistic regression analysis proved that LVI and pT stage were significantly associated with LN metastasis.


CONCLUSION
LVI is an independent prognostic factor predicting LN metastasis and a strongly independent predictor of survival for patients with resected gastric cancer. We recommend that LVI should be taken into account as an important adjuvant prognostic factor, specially for pN0 cases with inadequate LNs retrieved. And the maximum number of LNs possible should be retrieved for optimal staging, especially for patients with higher cT stage.
['Zhang|Chun-Dong|CD|', 'Ning|Fei-Long|FL|', 'Zeng|Xian-Tao|XT|', 'Dai|Dong-Qiu|DQ|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D005260:Female D006801:Humans D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate D016015:Logistic Models D008198:Lymph Nodes D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D015999:Multivariate Analysis D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness D009367:Neoplasm Staging D011379:Prognosis D012189:Retrospective Studies D012307:Risk Factors D013274:Stomach Neoplasms D015996:Survival Rate
Lymphovascular invasion Lymph node metastasis Resected gastric cancer Survival rate Independent prognostic factor