[Relationship between venous invasion and hematogenous metastasis in the gastric cancer]

We investigated the correlation between venous invasion and hematogenous metastasis in gastric cancer. In 70 patients with gastric cancer, 8 cases had hepatic metastasis at operation (group A), 26 cases were identified with hematogenous recurrence after operation (group B) and 36 cases were disease free over 5 years after operation (group C). Specimens were all step-sectioned and serial sections were stained both with HE and EM. Rates of venous invasion were calculated as following formulae; (number of cancer involving veins/total number of veins investigated) x 100 (%). Results were as follows. 1. Average rates of venous invasion (ARVI) of groups A and B were significantly higher than that of group C (A; 7.6%, B; 2.6%, C; 0.7% p < 0.05). 2. In subserosal or serosal layer, there is no significant difference between ARVI of group A and that of group B. 3. No significant difference was seen between group A and B in rates of venous invasion to larger vein (diameter > 200 microns). These observations suggest that cancer invasion to the veins located in deeper than subserosal layer or ranged in diameter over 200 microns relates to hematogenous metastasis.