Publication Name	World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
Manuscript ID	123356
Country	China

Category	Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Manuscript Type	Retrospective Study
Article Title	Prognostic impact of lesser curvature lymph node count in stage I/II gastric cancer: A retrospective study
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Pei-Feng Chen, Jia-Jun Qian, Lei Zhang, Zhang-Ming Chen and Wen-Xiu Han
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number Natural Science Research Project of Universities in Anhui Province 2023AH053317
Corresponding Author	Wen-Xiu Han, Chief Physician, PhD, Professor, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218 Jixi Avenue, Shushan District, Hefei 230022, Anhui Province, China. yfy104613@fy.ahmu.edu.cn
Key Words	Gastric cancer; Lymph node retrieval; Lesser curvature lymph node; Stage migration; Survival analysis
Core Tip	Current gastric cancer staging guidelines emphasize total lymph node (LN) count but may overlook the anatomical distribution of nodal metastases. This exploratory study investigated the prognostic impact of the lesser curvature LN count in 254 patients with stage I/II lesser curvature gastric cancer who underwent total gastrectomy. The retrieval of ≤ 7 lesser curvature LNs (stations 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9) was independently associated with significantly poorer overall survival after adjusting for established prognostic factors. This region-specific threshold offers a potential anatomical complement to total LN count standards.
Citation	Chen PF, Qian JJ, Zhang L, Chen ZM, Han WX. Prognostic impact of lesser curvature lymph node count in stage I/II gastric cancer: A retrospective study. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; In press

Received	2026-05-18 07:41
Peer-Review Started	2026-05-18 07:42
First Decision by Editorial Office Director
Return for Revision	2026-06-16 07:28
Revised	2026-07-04 03:31
Publication Fee Transferred	2026-07-14 01:47
Second Decision by Editor	2026-09-07 02:45
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-09-08 09:35
Articles in Press	2026-09-08 09:35
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5204 (online)
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