Early gastric cancer: A challenge in Western countries

Table 4 Anatomical definitions of lymph node stations

Nr.	Definition
1	Right paracardial LNs, including those along the first branch of the ascending limb of the left gastric artery
2	Left paracardial LNs including those along the esophagocardiac branch of the left subphrenic artery
3	3a: Lesser curvature LNs along the branches of the left gastric artery; 3b: Lesser curvature LNs along the 2nd branch and distal part of the right gastric artery
4	(1) 4sa: Left greater curvature LNs along the short gastric arteries (perigastric area); (2) 4sb: Left greater curvature LNs along the left gastroepiploic artery (perigastric area); and (3) 4d: Right greater curvature LNs along the 2nd branch and distal part of the right gastroepiploic artery
5	Suprapyloric LNs along the 1st branch and proximal part of the right gastric artery
6	Infrapyloric LNs along the first branch and proximal part of the right gastroepiploic artery down to the confluence of the right gastroepiploic vein and the anterior superior pancreatoduodenal vein
7	LNs along the trunk of left gastric artery between its root and the origin of its ascending branch
8	8a: Anterosuperior LNs along the common hepatic artery; 8p: Posterior LNs along the common hepatic artery
9	Coeliac artery
10	Splenic hilar LNs including those adjacent to the splenic artery distal to the pancreatic tail, and those on the roots of the short gastric arteries and those along the left gastroepiploic artery proximal to its 1st gastric branch
11	(1) 11p: Proximal splenic artery LNs from its origin to halfway between its origin and the pancreatic tail end; and (2) 11d: Distal splenic artery LNs from halfway between its origin and the pancreatic tail end to the end of the pancreatic tail
12	(1) 12a: Hepatoduodenal ligament LNs along the proper hepatic artery, in the caudal half between the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts and the upper border of the pancreas; (2) 12b: Hepatoduodenal ligament LNs along the bile duct, in the caudal half between the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts and the upper border of the pancreas; and (3) 12p: Hepatoduodenal ligament LNs along the portal vein in the caudal half between the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts and the upper border of the pancreas
13	LNs on the posterior surface of the pancreatic head cranial to the duodenal papilla
14	LNs along the superior mesenteric vein
15	LNs along the middle colic vessels
16	(1) 16a1: Paraaortic LNs in the diaphragmatic aortic hiatus; (2) 16a2: Paraaortic LNs between the upper margin of the origin of the celiac artery and the lower border of the left renal vein; (3) 16b1: Paraaortic LNs between the lower border of the left renal vein and the upper border of the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery; and (4) 16b2: Paraaortic LNs between the upper border of the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery and the aortic bifurcation
17	LNs on the anterior surface of the pancreatic head beneath the pancreatic sheath
18	LNs along the inferior border of the pancreatic body
19	Infradiaphragmatic LNs predominantly along the subphrenic artery
20	Paraesophageal LNs in the diaphragmatic esophageal hiatus

LNs: Lymph nodes.