Four hundred and one cases of submucosal gastric carcinoma were divided into three groups according to the extent of submucosal invasion and the possibility of limited operation such as surgical local resection or D1+No. 7 lymph node dissection was examined. The groups consisted of carcinomas of microscopic invasion (sm1: 137 cases), those of macroscopic moderate invasion (sm2: 165 cases), and those of macroscopic massive invasion (sm3: 99 cases). In each group, histological nodal involvement was analyzed according to tumor location, macroscopic type and tumor size. As a result, the surgical local resection could be indicated for 1) sm1 tumors located at upper third, 2) elevated lesion of sm1 and 3) all sm tumors within 1 cm in size. And D1+No. 7 dissection was indicated for 1) all sml tumors, 2) all sm tumors located at upper third, 3) all elevated lesions and 4) all sm tumors within 2 cm in size, whereas the sum satisfying with D1+No. 7 dissection were 101 cases (sm1: 59, sm2: 26, sm3: 16) excluding the high risk cases with nodal involvement such as undifferetiated type and lesions accompanying with ulcer or ulcer scar. As the lymphatic permiation markedly increased in sm2 (83%) compared with sm1 (37%) cases, limited operation would be theoretically applyed to sm1 carcinomas with safety. However, D2 dissection should be recommended in cases which were suspected of sm invasion, because the accuracy rate of preoperative or operative diagnosis of sm1 was not sufficient in the present time.