STUDY ON MICROMETASTASIS IN NEGATIVE GROUP-9 LYMPH NODES BY CONVENTIONAL PATHOLOGY IN THE LOWER THIRD OF GASTRIC CANCER

Objective To investigate the lymph node micrometastasis of negative group-9 lymph nodes by conventional pathology in lower-part gastric cancer and analyze its association with clinical pathology. Methods Serial sections and telomeric repeat amplication protocol(TRAP)-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) were applied to detect lymph node micrometastasis of 82 negative lymph nodes in 48 patients(two in each case) with lower-part gastric cancer,the data was analyzed statistically.Results Micrometastasis was found in four lymph nodes(3 cases) by serial sections and by TRAP-ELISA.For negative lymph nodes on conventional pathology,13 lynph nodes(8 cases) were found positive by TRAP-ELISA,the difference between the two methods were significant(χ2=6.125,P0.05).In the present study,the micrometastasis rate of group-9 lymph nodes was26.83%(11/41) and the ratio of lymph node micrometastasis was 20.73%(17/82).The differences among micrometastasis,patient's age,gender and histological differentiation were not statistically significant(χ2=0.322-1.328,P0.05),but were associated with gross typing and diameter of the tumor,depth of infiltration and TNM staging(χ2=5.455-8.389,P0.05).Conclusion Group-9 lymph nodes in lower-third gastric cancer have a relatively higher rate of micrometastasis.For a negative lymph-node findings,micrometastasis check is recommended for exact staging and therapy.