Predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer

Table 2 Clinicopathological features of 556 patients diagnosed with early gastric cancer and univariate analysis of potential risk factors of regional lymph node metastasis

Variables	Positive rate of lymph node metastasis (%)	P value
Age (yr)		0.876
< 65	40/288 (13.9)
≥ 65	36/268 (13.4)
Gender		0.012
Male	35/330 (10.6)
Female	41/226 (18.1)
Size (cm)		< 0.001
< 2	34/352 (9.7)
≥ 2	42/204 (20.6)
Endoscopic appearance		0.993
Elevated	9/65 (13.8)
Depressed	43/307 (14.0)
Flat	16/123 (13.0)
Mixed	8/61 (13.1)
Serum CEA (ng/mL)		0.152
< 5	43/336 (12.8)
≥ 5	7/32 (21.9)
Depth of invasion		< 0.001
T1a	12/293 (4.1)
T1b	64/263 (24.3)
Histology differentiation		0.759
Differentiated	41/309 (13.3)
Undifferentiated	35/247 (14.2)
Vascular invasion		< 0.001
Absence	68/546 (12.5)
Presence	8/10 (80.0)
Lymphatic involvement		< 0.001
Absence	44/517 (8.5)
Presence	32/39 (8.2)
Ulcer		0.449
Absence	22/182 (12.1)
Presence	54/374 (14.4)