Risk factors for lymph node metastasis and invasion depth in early gastric cancer: Analysis of 210 cases

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early gastric cancer (EGC) is often associated with the risk of lymph node metastasis, which influences treatment decisions. Despite the use of enhanced computed tomography, the prediction of lymph node involvement remains challenging. AIM To investigate the risk factors for lymph node metastasis and invasion depth in patients with EGC. METHODS In total, 210 patients with pathologically diagnosed EGC were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to predict risk factors for lymph node metastasis and invasion depth in patients with EGC. RESULTS Among the 210 patients, 27 (12.9%) had lymph node metastases. Of the 117 patients with submucosal gastric cancer, 24 (20.5%) had lymph node metastases. Both univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that the depth of invasion in EGC was a risk factor for lymph node metastasis in these patients. Additionally, pathological type was identified as a risk factor for cancer cell invasion in patients with EGC. CONCLUSION EGC invasion depth, not tumor type, size, age, sex, or location, predicts lymph node spread. Tumor type, not size, age, sex, or location, predicts cancer cell invasion.