BACKGROUND The presence or absence of lymph node metastasis closely correlates with survival of patients with gastric carcinoma. Although prognostic significance of the number and level of lymph node metastasis has been clarified, clinicopathologic features and prognostic indicators of node-negative gastric carcinoma have not yet been studied. METHODS The records of 435 patients who underwent curative D2 or D3 gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma between 1977 and 1987 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinicopathologic data of 252 patients having no lymph node metastasis were compared with those of 183 patients with lymph node metastasis. Prognostic factors were investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS Compared with node-positive cases, node-negative cases were characterized by frequent location in the lower two thirds of the stomach (85 percent), tumor size less than 4 cm (54 percent), grossly superficial type (69 percent), and tumor invasion not beyond the muscularis propria (77 percent). The 10-year-survival rate for patients with node-negative tumors was 93.4 percent. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that depth of wall invasion and age of patient were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS Node-negative gastric carcinoma is associated with a favorable outcome because of small progression of the disease. The depth of wall invasion and patient age were the most important prognostic factors.