摘要AIM To reveal the correlation between thefunctional differentiation phenotypes of gastriccarcinoma cells and the invasion and metastasisby a new way of cell-function classification.METHODS Surgically resected specimens of361 gastric carcinomas (GC) were investigatedwith enzyme-, mucin-, and tumor-related markerimmunohistochemist ry. According to thedirection of cell-function differentiation,stomach carcinomas were divided into fivefunctionally differentiated types.iation type (AFDT): there were 82 (22.7%)patients including 76 (92.7%) aged 45 years.Sixty-nine (84.1%) cases belonged to theintestinal type. Thirty-eight (46.3%) expressedCD44v6 and 9 (13.6%) of 66 male patientsdeveloped liver metastasis. The 5-year survivalrate of patients in this group (58.5%) was higherMucin secreting function differentiation type(MSFDT): 54 (15%) cases. Fifty-three (98.1%)tumors had penetrated the serosa, 12 (22.2%)expressed ER and 22 (40.7%) expressedCD44v6. The postoperative 5-year survival ratefunction differentiation type (AMPFDT): therewere 180 (49.9%) cases, including 31 (17.2%)aged yanger than 45 years. The tumor was morecommon in women (62, 34.4%,) and expressedmore frequently estrogen receptors (ER) ( 129,81.7%) than other types (P＜0.01). Ovarymetastasis was found in 12 (19.4%) out of 62female subjects. The patients with this type GChad the lowest 5-year survival rate (24.7%)differentiation type (SFDT): 13 (3.6%) cases.Nine (69.2%) tumors of this type derived fromAPUD system, the other 4 (30.7%) were ofdifferent histological differentiation. Sixty percent of the patients survived at least five years.(8.9%) cases. Nineteen (59.4%) cases hadlymph node metastases but no one with liver orovary metastasis. The 5-year survival rate was28.1%.CONCLUSION This new cell-functionclassification of GC is helpful in indicating thecharacteristics of invasion and metastasis of GCwith different cell-function differentiationphenotypes. Further study is needed to disclosethe correlation between the cell-functionaldifferentiation phenotypes and the relevantgenotypes and the biological behavior of gastriccarcinoma.