Effect of a mixed type Lauren's classification on agressiveness and lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer.

Abstract

28 Background: The clinicopathological features of mixed type (MT) early gastric cancer (EGC) according to Lauren’s classification remain uninvestigated. This study aimed to clarify the clinicopathological features of MT EGC, particularly in relation to lymph node metastasis (LNM) and long-term survival. Methods: This study included 5,309 patients who underwent gastrectomy for EGC. The clinicopathological features, LNM, and long-term outcomes of patients with MT carcinomas were compared to those with intestinal type (IT) and diffuse type (DT) cancers. Furthermore, we evaluated the predictors of LNM in each Lauren classification subgroup. Results: Patients with MT carcinomas were more likely to have larger tumors, submucosal invasion, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and LNM compared to those with IT or DT carcinomas. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Lauren’s classification was a significant predictor of LNM ( P < 0.001). The significant predictors of LNM in MT carcinomas were female sex, greater tumor size, presence of submucosal invasion, and LVI. However, the overall survival of patients with MT carcinoma was not significantly different from that of patients with IT or DT carcinomas ( P= 0.104). Conclusions: The presence of MT EGC carries a higher risk of LNM compared to IT or DT carcinomas. Therefore, MT carcinomas should be managed with gastrectomy that includes lymph node dissection instead of endoscopic resection.