Indications for pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for gastric cancer based on lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is necessary to study the relation between lymph node metastasis in the suprapyloric or lesser curvature regions and clinicopathologic findings in order to determine the indications for pylorus-preserving gastrectomy. METHODOLOGY: We reviewed all pertinent data from the cases of 109 patients with gastric cancer located mainly in the middle third of the stomach focusing particularly on status of lymph node metastasis and clinicopathologic findings. All patients had been treated by conventional gastrectomy with regional lymph node dissection (D2 or D3). RESULTS: Lymph node metastases were found in the lesser curvature or suprapyloric regions in 18 patients. Primary tumors were located in the lesser curvature side in 15 of these 18 patients and in the greater curvature side in only 3. Primary tumors in the greater curvature side with involvement in the lesser curvature or suprapyloric lymph nodes were greater than 4.0 cm in diameter, whereas primary tumors in the lesser curvature side with such metastasis were greater than 1.3 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Indications for pylorus-preserving gastrectomy with preserving of the pyloric branch of the vagal nerve perhaps can be expanded to middle stomach cancer located in the greater curvature side that is less than 4.0 cm in diameter.