OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of routine haematoxylin-eosin(HE) stain for submucosal lymphatic vessel infiltration in early gastric cancer.

METHODSFour thousand four hundred and twenty early gastric cancer patients underwent D2 operation. Submucosal lymphatic vessel was detected by routine HE stain. The results were compared with pathological lymph node metastasis.

RESULTSIn early gastric cancer, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predicting value (PPV), and negative predicting value (NPV) of routine HE stain for submucosal lymphatic vessel infiltration were 54.5%, 82.0%, 78.9%, 27.4%, and 93.5% respectively. In early gastric cancer limited in mucosa, these indexes were 14.5%, 98.0%, 95.8%, 15.8%, and 97.8% respectively. In early gastric cancer infiltrated to submucosa, they were 60.3%, 57.8%, 58.3%, 28.1%, and 84.2% respectively. There were significant differences of submucosal lymphatic vessel infiltration with lymph node metastasis (P< 0.001), but no significant difference with survival rate. The 5-year survival rates of submucosal lymphatic vessel infiltration positive and negative group were 84.4% and 87.3%, median survival time was 6998 d and 7237 d, and mean survival time was 6163.9 d and 6042.6 d respectively (P=0.2495).

CONCLUSIONThe accuracy of routine HE stain is too low, thus it is not suitable for diagnosing submucosal lymphatic vessel infiltration in early gastric cancer.

Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; pathology ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; pathology ; Lymphatic Vessels ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Staining and Labeling ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology