[The role of endoscopic ultrasonography and epidermal growth factor receptor assay in preoperative staging for gastric carcinoma].

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was performed in 36 patients with gastric carcinoma and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) of the specimen from endoscopic biopsy in 19 patients with gastric carcinoma was measured with immunoassay. Results of EUS were compared to the pathology of resected specimens according to the new (1987) TNM classification. EUS was very accurate in assessing the depth of tumor infiltration and the lymph node metastasis. Overall accuracy in T and N stage were 81% and 72% respectively. The level of EGFR in patients with infiltration into the neighbouring organs (97.7 +/- 27.9 fmol/mg pro.) were significantly higher than those without infiltration (47.7 +/- 21.3 fmol/mg pro.) (P < 0.01). The EGFR levels of those with lymph node metastasis (85 +/- 24.3 fmol/mg pro.) were significantly higher than that without lymph node metastasis (37.1 +/- 16.1 fmol/mg pro.) (P < 0.01). The results show that EUS as well as the EGFR assay could be used to determine the progress and prognosis of gastric carcinoma.