Early signet ring cell gastric cancer
Cheng-Tang Chiu1, Chia-Jung Kuo, Ta-Sen Yeh
1Department of Gastroenetrology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Background:
Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) is defined as a histological entity. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric SRC remain controversial.
Methods:
From 1994 to 2006, 2,439 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled. Of these, 505 patients (20.7%) had SRC and were compared to 1,934 patients with other histological types.
Results:
Twenty-nine percent of patients in the SRC group (n = 149) had early gastric cancer, with tumor invasion limited to the mucosa or submucosa, compared to 22.2% of patients in the non-SRC group (n = 430). The proportion of regional LN metastases was 10.7 and 16.0% in early SRC and early non-SRC, respectively, (p = 0.115). The 5-year survival rates for patients with early SRC were better than those for patients with early non-SRC (96.1 vs. 89.6%, p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
Early gastric SRC has favorable prognosis. There is no significant difference in terms of LN metastasis between SRC histologic type and other histological types. Less-invasive strategies may be acceptable in selected patients with early gastric SRC.
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