Tumor size predicts survival in mucinous gastric carcinoma

Background Mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC) is a distinct histologic subtype of gastric cancer. However, the prognostic significances of the current TNM staging system and histology in MGC have not been studied. Methods 206 patients who underwent R0 resection for MGC were classified by tumor size (<3?cm as T1; =35?cm as T2; =59?cm as T3; and =9?cm as T4). Immunohistochemistry for EGFR and HER2 was also performed. Results Tumor sizes ranged from 1.2 to 21.0?cm (median 6.2?cm). Large tumor size (=5?cm) was significantly associated with older patient age, deeper invasion depth, and more frequent lymph node metastasis (P?