[Clinicopathologic studies of 100 cases of lymph node metastasis in cardiac carcinoma]

The specimens of 100 cases of carcinoma of the gastric cardiac were studied after curative resection between 1985 and 1988. A total of 2213 lymph nodes were obtained, which were then divided into 23 group and 3 station in accordance with the Japanese staging system for esophageal and gastric carcinoma. Our data were as follow: (1) Eighty eight out of the hundred had lymph nodes metastasis, giving a metastatic rate of 88%: (2) 647 of 2213 lymph nodes were positive for metastasis. The degree of metastasis was 29.2%. The degree of metastasis of station 1,2,3 were 32%, 32.82%, and 14.65% respectively. That of group 1,2,3,4,7 and 110 were 42.5%, 32%, 36%, 11%, 39%, and 20.5% respectively. The lymph nodes of group 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 were not involved; (3) The extent of lymph nodes metastasis of cardiac carcinoma were closely related the bulk of carcinoma, gross appearance, depth of infiltration and histological type (P less than 0.05). The authors consider that abdominal lymph node metastasis were of importance for cardiac carcinoma. The group 7 should be cleaned first. Lymph nodes dissection would be started from the level of inferior pulmonary vein and ended at the pylorus region.