Abstract
During the period from 1985 to March 1998, we experienced 164 submucosal invadingcancers which were classified the submucosal extension of early cancer according to the vertical and horizontal levels of invasion. The depth of vertical invasion in the submucosal layer was measured by micrometer. In the investigation of submucosal invading cancers, vessel invasion occurred in smlhcancers and lymph node metastasis (LM) occurred in sm2 or sm3 cancers. From theviewpoint of the length of vertical invasion, vessel invasion occurred in lesions with thedepth of invasion more than 450μm. The rates of vessel invasion in the depth of 450-500μm, 501-1000μm, 1001-1500μm, 1501-2000μm, 2001μm or over were 5%, 29.4%β1.3%, 24.1%, 41.8%respectively. Lymph node metastasis occurred in lesions with the depth ofinvasion rnore than 1700μm. The mean depths in the LM positive and negative groups were2880±852(SD)μm and 2278±1789(SD)μm(P=0.0797)respectively.As to the comparisonof relative classification and measurement of suhmucosal invasion, the moan depths in sm1a, sm1b, sm1c, sm2, sm3 groups were 302±179(SD)μm, 403±86(SD)μm, 596±452(SD)μm, 2559±157(SD)μm, 3205±1599(SD)μm respectively.With respect to the form ofinvasion, the rates of vessel invasion in the groups of expanding growth and infiltratinggrowth were 7% and 54.7%respectively (p<0.0001). The rates of LM in the groups of expanding growth and infiltrating growth were 0% and 8.3% respectively. There was a statistically significance in the relationship between relative classificationand measurement of submucasal invasion. The rates of vessel invasion and LM were lowerin the group of expanding growth than the group of infiltrating growth.
