Objective:By studying the clinical data of 338 patients of early gastric cancer (EGC) who have been performed radical resection upon, we obtain the lymph node metastasis rules and distribution. To find out the relationship between lymph node metastasis and clinical pathological specificity, the prognostic factors for the purpose of improving suvival of EGC patients and quality of life.Materials and methods:To analyze retrospectively the clinical data of the 338 patients in the first affiliated hospital of Dalian medical university from July 1998 to June 2008, analyze the possible relationship of lymph node metastasis, the size of tumor、types of histopathology、depth of infiltration、gross classification、the type of serosa invasion and resection of lymph node. Use Kaplan-Meier method to process suvival rate, immunohistochemistry method to see the micrometastasis.Result:1.All the 338 EGC patients who underwent electron gastric endoseopy were approved primary gastric cancer. And they also underwent X-ray and B-mode ultrasonography. There was no pulmonary metastasis and other abdominal organ metastasis in them. 229 patients are male,the average age of onset is 50.1 years(range:42~69years).109 patients are female , the average age of onset is 46.7 years (range:33~56years). 139 patients (41.1%) had D1 radical lymphatic nodes disseetion,183 patients (54.1%) had D2 radical lymphatic nodes disseetion, and the others (16,4.7%) had D3 radical lymphatic nodes dissection. we found that lymph node metastasis are affected by the size of tumor、depth of infiltration、type of serosa invasion,P<0.05.2.General 5-year survival rate 92.1%, intramucosa 5-year survival rate 97.1%, submucosa 5-year survival rate 85.7%, intestinal type EGC 5-year survival rate 93.3%, diffuse type 5-year survival rate 90.9%, the survival rate of EGC was related with invasion depth, type of serosa invasion and lymph node metastasis.3.Micrometastasis happend in 5 patients of 31 EGC, 3 in 14 intestinal type cases, 2 in 17 diffuse type cases. there was no obvious difference between them (P=0.467). 1 in 5 micrometastasis cases maybe have skipped metastasis.Conclusion:1.By praise estimating depth of infiltration、the size of tumor、type of serosa invasion and correct estimating the state of lymph node metastasis,we find that: The EGC patients who have one of conditions as follows,mucosal cancer, less than 1.0cm in the diameter, normal serosa, can perform decreased range of operation less than D1 radical operation in stead of radical lymphatic nodes dissection.D2 radical operation should be performed for lesion invading the submucosal layer,or more than 2cm in diameter,reactive serosa.2.Choose right surgical protocol according to size of tumor, invasion depth, serous reaction and lymph node metastasis to improve survival rate and prognosis.3.There is high sensitivity of AE1/AE3 for regional lymph node micrometasis. IHC can elevate the positive rate, micrometasis appeared in No.3,1,4,7 lymph node.