Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma in Patient with Gastric Cancer, is it belong to the Undifferentiated Type?

Kong, Pil Sung; Song, Kyo Young; Lim, Keun Woo; Kim, Seung Nam; Park, Cho Hyun

Abstract

PURPOSE
Although many studies on the clinicopathological characteristics of signet ring cell (SRC) carcinoma of the stomach have been made, there is no consistent report of the characteristics and prognosis of this condition. In this study, the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with SRC and non-SRC gastric cancer were compared.
METHODS
Between 1990 and 2002, 1,884 patients, who underwent a curative resection for gastric cancer in our hospital, were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 185 (9.8%) patients with SRC were compared with 1,699 (90.2%) patients with non-SRC.
RESULTS
SRC in gastric cancer was found more commonly in younger patients and women. The depth of the invasion in the SRC patients was less invasive and a lymph node metastasis is less frequent. A higher frequency of the depressed gross type and middle third tumor location in SRC are similar characteristics of the undifferentiated type of gastric cancer. However, SRC in EGC have similar characteristics to the differentiated type of gastric cancer such as a higher rate of mucosa-confined tumors and less frequent lymph node metastasis. The five-year survival rate of SRC in AGC was similar to that of other pathologic types, and the pathologic type does not influence the survival rate.
CONCLUSION
SRC patient in EGC should be considered as a differentiated type. Therefore, the mucosa confined tumor and less frequent lymph node metastases are expected.