Lymph node metastases from carcinoma of the gastric stump

The incidence of metastases from gastric stump cancer to various regional lymph node stations was studied after meticulous node dissection in 87 patients, who had undergone curative resection. Fifty-five (63%) patients had microscopically involved nodes. The incidence of node metastases varied between 17% and 30% in the perigastric nodes (n 1), with the same incidence in second-station lymph nodes (n 2; nodes along the left gastric, common hepatic and splenic artery, or nodes at the splenic hilus) With respect to third-station lymph nodes (n 3), metastases in nodes in the hepatoduodenal ligament (No 12) and retropancreatic nodes (No 13) were found only in 2% and 8% of the cases, respectively, but there was a high incidence of metastases (14/54, 31%) in the nodes along the mesenteric root. The overall 5-year survival rate was 48% and those for n 1 and n 2 patients were 78%, and 41%, respectively. With regard to the third level lymph node station, no 5-year survivors were seen when there was nodal involvement in node station No. 12 or No. 13. However, involvement of nodes at the root of the mesentery was associated with a 5-year survival rate of 25%. These results suggest that resection of the second level lymph nodes station must be combined with total gastrectomy and distal pancreatectomy, and that the resection of the mesenteric root is very important in patients with a tumor invading the jejunum.