Which statement correctly defines early gastric cancer according to the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association?
- A Any gastric cancer confined to the stomach wall without nodal metastasis
- B A tumour less than 2 cm in diameter confined to the mucosa
- C A tumour whose invasion is limited to the mucosa or submucosa, irrespective of lymph node status ✓
- D A tumour invading the muscularis propria but without serosal involvement
Correct answer: C. A tumour whose invasion is limited to the mucosa or submucosa, irrespective of lymph node status
Explanation
Early gastric cancer is defined by depth of invasion only: tumour limited to the mucosa or submucosa regardless of whether lymph nodes are involved. This depth-based definition explains why endoscopic resection can be curative in selected cases. Option B fails because size does not define early cancer, and option A fails because T2 tumours without nodes are still advanced by this definition.
Reference: Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma, 3rd English edition ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.