HISTOLOGICAL-EVALUATION OF LYMPH-NODE METASTASIS ON SERIAL SECTIONINGIN GASTRIC-CANCER WITH RADICAL LYMPHADENECTOMY

Background/Aims: Lymph node metastasis is one of the most important pr ognostic factors in gastric cancer patients. To evaluate the real exte nt of lymph node metastasis from gastric cancer, histological examinat ion by serial sectioning was performed, Methodology: Histological exam ination of serial sections of lymph nodes was performed in 111 gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy, to evaluate method s of examining lymph node metastasis. A total of 58430 cross-sections of 3449 lymph nodes were examined. The extent of lymph node metastasis was evaluated by the routine one-section method, the 3-section method and the serial sectioning method for lymph. node examination. Results : The frequency of lymph, node metastasis was 81.1% (90/111) and metas tatic foci were detected in 23.0% of all lymph nodes by serial section ing. Serial sectioning of distant lymph nodes showed metastasis in 23. 8% by the 1 section method, and 8.4% by the 3-section. method. Microme tastasis was detected in 10.5% of metastatic lymph nodes, and distant lymph nodes had a higher rate of micrometastasis. Conclusion: Serial s ectioning resulted in, more accurate evaluation of the extent of lymph node metastasis, and it was also shown that distant lymph nodes had a higher rate of micrometastasis.