Management of early gastric cancer that meet the indication for radical lymph node dissection following endoscopic resection: a retrospective cohort analysis

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic resection (ER) has been widely accepted as the standard treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC). However, in patients considered to have undergone non-curative ER due to their potential risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM), additional gastrectomy is recommended. The aim of the present study was to identify EGC patients after non-curative ER at high risk of LNM. METHODS: A total of 150 patients who had undergone ER for EGC were diagnosed as non-curative ER due to their potential risk of LNM. Clinicopathological data and clinical outcomes were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: Additional gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was performed in 73 patients, and the remaining 77 patients were followed-up without additional gastrectomy. In patients who underwent additional gastrectomy, 8 patients had local residual tumor, and 8 patients had LNM, which were limited in the peritumoral nodes. Only lymphatic invasion (p = 0.012) was a statistically significant factor for LNM. The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival were not significantly different between patients with and without additional gastrectomy. CONCLUSION: Additional gastrectomy with lymph node dissection is recommended for patients who were diagnosed as non-curative ER with lymphatic invasion, and minimizing the extent of lymph node dissection may be allowed for these patients.