The proliferative activity of cancer cells at the invasive margin of a tumor is a good indicator of the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer with serosal invasion
Ikeguchi, M.; Katano, K.; Oka, A.; Tsujitani, S.; Maeta, M.; Kaibara, N.
International Surgery 81(2): 122-125
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0020-8868 PMID: 8912075 Document Number: 461903
The proliferative activity of cancer cells, as indicated by numbers of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs), at five sites along the invasive margin of the tumor was assessed for 65 patients with histologically proven and curatively operated gastric adenocarcinoma that had invaded the serosa. The mean number of AgNORs in cells at the invasive margin of the tumor was 4.6. Patients with high AgNOR scores (AgNOR score > or = 4.6, n = 34) had a significantly elevated frequency of lymphatic involvement (82%) as compared with patients with low AgNOR scores (AgNOR scores < 4.6, n = 31, 45%), regardless of the size and histologic type of the tumor, and the depth of invasion of the gastric wall. The 5-year survival rate of 33 patients with high AgNOR scores (22.7%) was significantly poorer than that of 31 patients with low AgNOR scores (55.4%, p = 0.024). Thus, the AgNOR score of cancer cells at the invasive margin of the tumor appears to be a good predictor of the prognosis of patients with advanced gastric cancer with serosal invasion.