[Principles of lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer according to depth of wall invasion, tumor site and regional lymphatic flow].

The principles of lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer are discussed based on the 1010 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy with curative intent between 1970 and 1990. In 147 of these patients, regional lymphatic flow was examined by injecting activated carbon particles CH40. 1) One hundred and ninety patients (19.8%) with cancer invasion confined to the mucosa had lymph node metastases limited to the perigastric nodes (n1). 2) Two hundred and five patients (20.3%) had cancer invasion to the submucosa. For 99.0% of them the lymph node metastases were limited to compartment II (n2). 3) Three hundred and twenty-two patients (31.9%), with cancer invasion to the muscle layer or serosa and limited to the upper or middle third of the stomach, had lymph node metastases in compartment II and No. 12 (n 2 + No. 12). 4) Two hundred and ninety-three patients (29.0%) with cancer invasion to the muscle layer or serosa and limited to lower third of the stomach or to its extension, had lymph nodes metastases in compartment III (n3). 5) Consequent to observations on the regional lymph flow of the stomach by CH40, we now perform paraaortic lymph node dissection, when gastric cancer patients with serosal invasion have metastases lymph nodes No. 2, 7, 8a, 9, 11, 12 or No. 14V.