Prognosis for gastric-cancer invading the serosa evaluated by argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region staining

Eighty-five patients with gastric cancer invading the serosa following curative resection were analyzed with respect to clinicopathological features and prognosis by staining the argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR). The AgNOR was counted in 200 cancer cells per tissue and the mean number per cell was identified as the AgNOR score. The AgNOR count varied from 1.79 to 5.71, while the mean value was 2.92 +/- 0.74 and the median score was 2.95. The patients were divided into two groups: the AgNOR high group (AgNOR count greater-than-or-equal-to 2.95, n=44) and the AgNOR low group (AgNOR count < 2.95, n=41). There were no differences between the two groups with respect to sex, age, tumor size, location of the tumor, macroscopic appearance, histological differentiation, growth pattern and vascular involvement. The lymphatic advancement of tumor cells was prominent and the rate of lymph node metastasis was higher (p<0.01) in patients in the AgNOR high group. The AgNOR high group had a higher rate of recurrence and also had a variety of recurrence styles. The prognosis of the AgNOR high group was poorer, with statistical significance (p<0.01), while the 10-year survival rate was 35.3% for the AgNOR high group and 77.2% for the AgNOR low group. Therefore, the AgNOR count was found to be closely related to tumor advancement and thus is considered to have a predictive value for the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer invading the serosa after curative resection.