AB89. The ratio between metastatic and examined lymph nodes stage of lymph node metastasis was the most appropriate category for evaluating overall survival of gastric cancer

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate N stage (according to the 7^th edition UICC/AJCC TNM Classification for Gastric Cancer), ratio between metastatic and examined lymph nodes (RML) stage, negative lymph nodes (NLN) stage and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) stage, which is the most appropriate category of metastatic lymph nodes to evaluate overall survival (OS) of gastric cancer following radical resection and D2 lymphadenectomy.

Methods: We reviewed data of 372 gastric cancer patients following radical resection and D2 lymphadenectomy for evaluation significantly OS differences according to the different categories of metastatic lymph nodes.

Results: Univariate and multivariate analyses showed degree of differentiation (HR=1.404, P=0.015), T stage (according to the 7^th edition UICC/AJCC TNM Classification for Gastric Cancer) (HR=1.568, P=0.024), the RML stage (HR=1.479, P=0.030) were identified as the significantly independent predicators of the OS. However, RML stage was identified as the most appropriate for evaluation OS of gastric cancer patients following surgery rather than N stage, NLN stage and LODDS stage by using the case-control matched fashion. With the further stratified analysis, we demonstrated that RML stage had the best prognostic homogeneity than N stage, NLN stage or LODDS stage.

Conclusions: RML stage was the best indicator for predication the OS of the gastric cancer patients after surgery, rather than the LODDS stage.

Keywords: Stomach; neoplasm; ratio between metastatic and dissected lymph nodes (RML); negative lymph nodes (NLN); log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS)