Adequate Lymph Node Dissection Research Articles

Oncologic safety of transverse colon cancer surgery without central vessel ligation of middle colic artery.

Surgical standardization for transverse colon cancers (TCC) has not been established, and the oncologic benefit of central vessel ligation (CVL) are still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the oncologic safety of TCC surgery without CVL of the middle colic artery (MCA). This is a single-center, retrospective, observational, comparative study. The clinical, surgical, and pathological characteristics of the patients who underwent radical surgery for non-metastatic TCC between January 2012 and December 2020 were investigated, and the characteristic and oncologic outcomes of No CVL and CVL groups were compared. The number of No CVL and CVL groups was 47 (44.3%) and 59 (55.7%), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in surgical complications, stage, mean number of retrieved lymph nodes (LN) (24.12 vs. 22.36 p = 0.464), mean number of metastatic LN (1.53 vs. 0.74, p = 0.163), mean proximal margin (19.2cm vs. 16.7cm, p = 0.139), mean distal margin (9.6cm vs. 9.9cm, p = 0.753), adjuvant chemotherapy, total recurrence rate (6.4 vs. 11.9%, p = 0.507), lymphatic recurrence rate (0.0% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.253), and local recurrence rate (2.1 vs. 1.7%, p = 0.984). Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference of 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in stage II (DFS: 94.4 vs. 91.3%, p = 0.685, OS: 94.1 vs. 95.5%, p = 0.838) and stage III (DFS: 88.5 vs. 68.4%, p = 0.253, OS: 100.0% vs. 79.7, p = 0.328). TCC surgery without CVL of the MCA showed comparable surgical and oncologic outcomes compared to surgery with CVL. Therefore, preservation of a branch of the MCA may be considered a safe option, when combined with adequate lymph node dissection, if necessary. A large, prospective, and controlled study will be necessary to provide solid evidence of the oncologic safety of this procedure.

Lymphatic vascular invasion: Diagnostic variability and overall survival impact on patients undergoing surgical resection

ObjectiveThe diagnostic criteria of lymphatic vascular invasion have not been standardized. Our investigation assesses the factors associated with lymphatic vascular invasion positive tumors and the impact of lymphatic vascular invasion on overall survival for patients with non–small cell lung cancer undergoing (bi)lobectomy with an adequate node dissection. MethodsThe National Cancer Database was queried from the years 2010 to 2015 to find surgical patients who underwent lobectomy with at least 10 lymph nodes examined (adequate node dissection) and with known lymphatic vascular invasion status. Paired t tests were used to distinguish differences between the patients with and without lymphatic vascular invasion in their specimen. Multivariable analysis was used to determine factors associated with overall survival. Propensity score matching adjusting for overall survival factors was used to determine the lymphatic vascular invasion's overall survival impact by grade, histology, p-T/N/overall stage, and tumor size. ResultsLymphatic vascular invasion status was reported in 91.6% and positive in 23.4% of 28,842 eligible patients. Academic medical centers, institutions with populations more than 1,000,000, and the mid-Atlantic region reported higher rates of lymphatic vascular invasion positive tumors as well as overall survival compared with other cancer centers. Lymphatic vascular invasion was independently associated with a significant decrement in overall survival as per multivariable analysis and propensity score matching. Propensity score matching demonstrated that lymphatic vascular invasion was associated with a significant decrement in overall survival for all histologies, tumor grades, tumor sizes, and stages, except for more advanced pathologic stages T3/III/N2 and larger tumors greater than 4 cm for which overall survival was trending worse with lymphatic vascular invasion positive. ConclusionsLymphatic vascular invasion positive varies based on hospital location/type and population, but it was associated with a decrement in overall survival that was independent of pathologic T/N/overall stage, histology, and tumor grade. Lymphatic vascular invasion must be standardized and considered as a staging variable and should be considered as a sole determinant for prognosis, especially for those with earlier-stage and smaller tumors.

Quality of lymph node dissection and early recurrence in robotic versus thoracoscopic lobectomy for stage N1-2 non-small cell lung cancer: Eleven-year real-world data from a high-volume center

BackgroundThe efficacy of lymph node dissection (LND) and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted (RL) versus video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VL) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with nodal involvement remains controversial. This study aims to compare LND quality and early recurrence (ER) rate between RL and VL for stage N1-2 NSCLC patients based on eleven-year real-world data from a high-volume center. MethodsPathologic stage IIB-IIIB (T1-3N1-2) NSCLC patients undergoing RL or VL in Shanghai Chest Hospital from 2010 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed from a prospectively maintained database. Propensity-score matching (PSM, 1:4 RL versus VL) was performed to mitigate baseline differences. LND quality was evaluated by adequate (≥16) LND and nodal upstaging rates. ER was defined as recurrence occurring within 24 months post-surgery. ResultsOut of 1578 cases reviewed, PSM yielded 200 RL and 800 VL cases. Without compromising perioperative outcomes, RL assessed more N1 and N2 LNs and N1 stations, and led to higher incidences of adequate LND (58.5 % vs. 42.0 %, p < 0.001) and nodal upstaging (p = 0.026), compared to VL. Notably, RL improved perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing adequate LND than VL. Finally, RL notably reduced ER rate (22.0 % vs. 29.6 %, p = 0.032), especially LN ER rate (15.0 % vs. 21.5 %, p = 0.041), and prolonged disease-free survival (DFS; hazard ratio = 0.837, p = 0.040) compared with VL. Further subgroup analysis of ER and DFS within the cN1-2-stage cohort verified this survival benefit. ConclusionsRL surpasses VL in enhancing LND quality, reducing ER rates, and improving perioperative outcomes when adequate LND is performed for stage N1-2 NSCLC patients.

Unveiling the secrets of gastrointestinal mucous adenocarcinoma survival after surgery with artificial intelligence: A population-based study.

Research on gastrointestinal mucosal adenocarcinoma (GMA) is limited and controversial, and there is no reference tool for predicting postoperative survival. To investigate the prognosis of GMA and develop predictive model. From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we collected clinical information on patients with GMA. After random sampling, the patients were divided into the discovery (70% of the total, for model training), validation (20%, for model evaluation), and completely blind test cohorts (10%, for further model evaluation). The main assessment metric was the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). All collected clinical features were used for Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to determine factors influencing GMA's prognosis. This model had an AUC of 0.7433 [95% confidence intervals (95%CI): 0.7424-0.7442] in the discovery cohort, 0.7244 (GMA: 0.7234-0.7254) in the validation cohort, and 0.7388 (95%CI: 0.7378-0.7398) in the test cohort. We packaged it into Windows software for doctors' use and uploaded it. Mucinous gastric adenocarcinoma had the worst prognosis, and these were protective factors of GMA: Regional nodes examined [hazard ratio (HR): 0.98, 95%CI: 0.97-0.98, P < 0.001)] and chemotherapy (HR: 0.62, 95%CI: 0.58-0.66, P < 0.001). The deep learning-based tool developed can accurately predict the overall survival of patients with GMA postoperatively. Combining surgery, chemotherapy, and adequate lymph node dissection during surgery can improve patient outcomes.

The effectiveness of adequate lymphadenectomy in radically-resected cases with pathologically-confirmed node-negative biliary tract cancers: A SEER-based retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveCurrent study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of adequate lymph node dissection (ALND) in pathologically-confirmed node-negative cases with biliary tract cancers (BTCs). MethodsCases with pathologically confirmed BTCs from SEER data between 2000 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Comparative analyses in terms of clinic-pathological features and long-term survival based on the performance of ALND were performed. ALND was defined as a minimum number of resected lymph nodes with 6. ResultsA total of 1698 cases radically-resected cases with pathologically-confirmed BTCs were finally included (ALND received: 450, ALND not received: 1248). ALND (+) cases were generally in a more advanced stage than ALND (-) cases that the percentage of cases with T3-4 disease was significantly higher (P<0.001). Comparable incidence of receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (46.7% vs 46.1%, P=0.829) and adjuvant radiotherapy (16% vs 16.8%, P=0.686) were acquired between two groups. ALND (+) cases shared a more favorable prognosis than ALND (-) cases, especially when focused on different T categories. ALND was not a prognostic factor for radically resected cases with BTCs. Propensity score matching analysis was performed and the results were similar before matching. ConclusionALND was associated with obvious survival benefit among radically resected cases with pathologically confirmed node-negative BTCs and therefore the conventional application of ALND is strongly recommended, even for node-negative cases. Future multi-center studies focusing on the optimal number of resected lymph nodes regarding adequate lymphadenectomy for cases with BTCs, especially based on different tumor locations, are required.

Oncologic safety of transverse colon cancer surgery without central vessel ligation.

108 Background: Transverse colon cancers (TCC) have mixed embryological and molecular characteristics of right and left colon cancers and they are difficult to classified to right or left colon cancer due to the ambiguity of their location. Therefore, there is a lack of research about TCC alone, and it tended to be excluded in previous large clinical trials. Also, the optimal surgical procedure for each TCC varies depending on the location and stage of the tumor and anatomic structure of the patient. Consequently, standardization of surgery for TCC has not been established, and the oncologic benefits of central vessel ligation (CVL) with complete mesocolic excision and D3 dissection are unclear yet. The aim of the study is to evaluate oncologic safety of TCC surgery without CVL of middle colic artery. Methods: It is a retrospective, observational study. The clinical, surgical, and pathological characteristics were investigated retrospectively and statistical analyses were performed using chi-square test, independent samples T-test, and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Mid TCC was defined as tumor arising in the middle third of transverse colon and determined by intraoperative exploration. Hepatic and splenic flexure colon cancer, which were defined as tumor is adjacent to liver or spleen, were excluded. Radical resection was conducted along the embryological surgical plane, following D2 or D3 dissection. Central vessel ligation was defined as ligation of root of middle colic artery. Results: The numbers of proximal, mid, and distal TCC were 48 (45.3%), 32 (30.2%), and 26 (24.5%), respectively. The numbers of right hemicolectomy, transverse colectomy and left hemicolectomy were 57 (53.8%), 28 (26.4%) and 21 (19.8%). The numbers of No CVL group and CVL group were 47 (44.3%) and 59 (55.7%). The numbers of stage I, II and III were 24 (22.6%), 45 (42.5%), 37 (34.9%), and 49 patients underwent adjuvant treatment. The most frequent organ of recurrence was peritoneum (N=6, 5.6%). There was no statistically significant difference of stage, mean number of retrieved lymph node (24.12 vs. 22.36 p=0.464), mean number of metastatic lymph node (1.53 vs. 0.74, p=0.163), mean proximal margin (19.2 cm vs. 16.7 cm, p=0.139), mean distal margin (9.6 cm vs. 9.9 cm, p=0.753), adjuvant chemotherapy, and the rate of recurrence with lymph node metastasis. Also, there was no statistically significant difference of 6-year DFS survival and OS in stage II and III. Conclusions: When following oncologic plane and adequate lymph node dissection, resection without CVL for TCC is considered to have equal surgical and oncologic outcomes comparing to resection with CVL. Therefore, it is considered that CVL would not be always mandatory for TCC surgery, and a branch of middle colic artery could be preserved, if necessary.

Surgical treatment and prognostic factors in perihilar tumors

To study the results of surgical treatment in patients with perihilar tumors. We analyzed 98 patients with perihilar tumors who underwent surgery. We prefer percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (n=58) for jaundice. Retrograde interventions were performed in 18 cases (20.5%), complications grade III-IV were more common (p=0.037) in the last group. Postoperative mortality was 12%. Complications developed in 81 patients (82.7%), grade ≥3 - in 39 (39.8%) cases. Portal vein resection (n=26) increased the incidence of complications grade ≥III (p=0.035) and portal vein thrombosis (p=0.0001). Chemotherapy after surgery was performed in 47 patients (48.0%), photodynamic therapy - in 7 (7.1%) patients. A 5-year overall survival was 28.1%, the median survival - 29 months. R2 resection and/or M1 stage (n=12) significantly worsened the prognosis and overall survival (16.5 vs. 31 months, p=0.0055). Lymph node (LN) lesion, microscopic status (R0 vs. R1) of resection margin, technique of decompression and isolated resection of extrahepatic bile ducts did not affect the prognosis, and we combined appropriate patients (n=72) for analysis. SI resection and excision of ≥6 lymph nodes were independent positive factors for disease-free survival (p=0.042 and p=0.007, respectively). Blood transfusion and high preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte index (NLI ≥2.15) worsened overall (p=0.009 and p=0.002, respectively) and disease-free survival (p=0.002 and 0.007, respectively). The absence of adjuvant therapy worsened disease-free survival alone (p=0.024). SI liver resection, adequate lymph node dissection and adjuvant therapy should be used for perihilar tumors. Isolated resection of extrahepatic bile ducts is permissible in some cases. Blood transfusion and NLI ≥2.15 are independent negative prognostic factors.

Resection margins, lymph node harvest and 3 year survival in open and laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery; a prospective cohort study

IntroductionLaparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery has been gaining popularity in the last decade. However, there are concerns about adequate lymph node dissection and safe resection margins in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. This study was aimed at comparing the lymph node (LN) clearance and surgical resection margins and 3-year survival for open and laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.MethodA pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire was used to assess the adoption of the laparoscopic approach by Sri Lankan surgeons. Data was collected prospectively from patients who underwent open or laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery at the University Surgical Unit of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka from April 2016 to May 2019. The histopathology records were analysed to determine the longitudinal and circumferential resection margins(CRM) and the number of lymph nodes harvested. The resection margins were classified as positive or negative. The total number of LN examined was evaluated. Presence of local recurrence and liver metastasis was determined by contrast enhanced CT scan during 3-years of follow up. Chi square, T test and z test for proportions were used to compare CRM, LN harvest and survival rates between the groups.ResultsOf the surgeons interviewed only 11 (18.4%) performed laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. A total of 137 patients (83 males and 54 females) were studied. Eighty-one procedures were laparoscopic and 56 procedures were open. All patients had clear longitudinal resection margins. Seventy-eight patients in the laparoscopic group (96%) and 51 patients (91%) in the open group had clear CRM (p > 0.05). A total of 2188 LNs (mean 15.9) were resected in all procedures. Six-hundred-eighty-nine lymph nodes were removed during open procedures (mean 12.3, SD 0.4) and 1499 (mean 18.5, SD 0.6) were removed during laparoscopy (p < 0.05). At 3 years follow-up the disease-free survival in the laparoscopic and open colon cancer patients was 27/41 (65.8%) and 16/29 (55.1%) respectively (p = 0.35). Disease free survival in the laparoscopic and open rectal cancer patients was 23/38 (60.5%) and 13/25 (52.0%) respectively (p = 0.40). Four patients were lost during follow-up.Discussion and conclusionCRM was comparable in the two groups. Laparoscopic group had a significantly higher LN harvest. Three-year survival rates were similar in the two groups. Acceptable results can be obtained with laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.

The Role of Carbon Nanoparticles as Lymph Node Tracers in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Colorectal malignancies are the third-most common malignancies worldwide, with a rising incidence. Surgery remains the treatment of choice and adequate lymph node dissection is required for accurate staging. The objective of this study is to assess the use of carbon nanoparticles in lymph node tracing and resection in cases of colorectal cancer. For that purpose, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies included in Medline, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases. In the end, ten studies with a total number of 1418 patients were included in the final statistical analysis. The meta-analysis carried out showed that the use of carbon nanoparticles results in an increased number of lymph nodes harvested (WMD 6.15, 95% CI 4.14 to 8.16, p < 0.001) and a higher rate of cases with more than 12 lymph nodes harvested (OR 9.57, 95% CI 2.87 to 31.96, p = 0.0002). As a consequence, we suggest that carbon nanoparticles are used on a wider scale and that future research focuses on assessing the association between their use and overall patient survival. This study is limited by the fact that all included studies originate from China and by the fact that certain oncologic parameters and long-term outcomes have not been taken into account in the analysis.

Assessing pentafecta outcomes post radical cystectomy: A tertiary care center study.

Bladder cancer is a common and serious disease globally, often requiring radical cystectomy as the preferred treatment. However, this procedure carries substantial risks and complications. To evaluate its success, pentafecta, a five-component measure, was introduced. This study investigates the attainment of pentafecta following radical cystectomy and examines factors that influence its achievement. This retrospective, single-group study was conducted at AIIMS Jodhpur. The study population included 42 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. Various data, including demographic characteristics, clinical features, surgical techniques, and postoperative outcomes, were collected from medical records. The primary outcome measure was the rate of achieving pentafecta, which comprises five parameters. Out of 42 patients, 26 (61.9%) achieved pentafecta. Age, gender, comorbidities and surgical approach did not significantly affect the attainment of pentafecta. Negative surgical margins were achieved in 95.2% of cases, and adequate lymph node dissection (>16 lymph nodes) was performed in 85.7% of cases. The absence of Clavien-Dindo grade 3-5 complications and recurrence was observed in 80.9% and 90.47% of cases, respectively. Uretero-enteric stricture was absent in 95.2% of cases. The study emphasizes the significance of negative surgical margins, thorough lymph node dissection, absence of complications, recurrence, and uretero-enteric strictures in evaluating the success of radical cystectomy as pentafacta outcomes. Patients with higher drain output and wound infections are less likely to achieve pentafacta outcome and indicates poorer outcome. By considering these factors, clinicians can assess patient outcomes and identify areas for improvement.

The Association between Lymph Node Dissection and Survival in Lymph Node-Negative Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Cancer.

The benefit of lymph node dissection (LND) during radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in lymph node (LN)-negative (cN0/pN0) UTUC remains controversial. We aimed to assess the association between LND and its extent and survival in LN-negative UTUC. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was searched to identify patients with non-metastatic chemotherapy-naïve cN0/pNx or pN0 UTUC who underwent RNU +/- LND between 2004 and 2019. Overall, 4649 patients with cN0/pNx or pN0 UTUC were analyzed, including 909 (19.55%) individuals who had LND. Among them, only in 368 patients (7.92%) was LND extended to at least four LNs, and the remaining 541 patients (11.64%) have had < four LNs removed. In the whole cohort, LND contributed to better cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Furthermore, a propensity score-matched analysis adjusted for confounders confirmed that improved CSS and OS was achieved only when ≥ four LNs had been removed, especially in muscle-invasive UTUC. A multivariable analysis further confirmed an association between the extent of LND and CSS. To conclude, adequate LND during RNU was associated with improved OS and CSS in LN-negative UTUC, particularly in muscle-invasive stage. This underscores that a sufficient LN yield is required to reveal a therapeutic benefit in patients undergoing RNU.

Lokal ileri mide kanserlerinde en-blok multiorgan rezeksiyonu yapılan hastaların erken ve geç dönem sonuçları ve bu sonuçlara etki eden faktörler

Background and Aims: The aim of this study is to examine the early and late results of patients with adjacent organ invasion (cT4b) who were operated for locally advanced gastric cancer in a high-volume center and to investigate the factors affecting survival. Material and Methods: Patients who underwent gastrectomy and en-bloc adjacent organ resection due to locally advanced gastric cancer between 2015 and 2019 were included in the study. Results: Radical gastrectomy and en-bloc additional organ resection were performed in 54 patients out of 435 patients who were operated for gastric cancer due to clinical T4b tumors. The mean age of all patients was 61.87 ± 12.67years. The median survival was found to be 16.5 (1 - 72) months. First-year survival was achieved in 37 (68.5%) patients, three-year survival in 11 (20.3%) and five-year survival in only 4 (7.4%) patients. Considering the factors affecting long-term survival, it was seen that postoperative complications affected survival significantly (p = 0.04). We found that performing R1 resection (p = 0.001), large tumor diameter (p = 0.02), presence of lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.024) and presence of perineural invasion (p = 0.024) adversely affected long-term survival. Conclusion: Adequate lymph node dissection and en bloc R0 resection with adjacent organ are important for long-term survival in patients with clinical T4b gastric cancer. Surgery should be performed regardless of the T-stage of the tumor. In this respect, surgery performed with adequate R0 resection can be considered as an independent prognostic factor affecting survival. Other factors affecting long-term survival are lymph node metastasis, tumor size, post-operative complications, and vascular and perineural invasion.

Perioperative radiotherapy on local-advanced gastric cancer--From the perspective of failure pattern

Distant metastasis, peritoneal recurrence and locoregional recurrence are the three major patterns of gastric cancer (GC) recurrence after surgery and the causes of patients'death. Among them, distant organ metastasis or peritoneal recurrence after surgery is more common and occurs earlier, while locoregional failure alone occurs later with a relatively lower incidence. Several studies have confirmed that preoperative radiotherapy can shrink tumors and increase R0 resection rates, and postoperative radiotherapy helps reduce local recurrence. However, whether perioperative radiotherapy can further improve patient survival is still controversial.. We believe that this is partly due to the characteristics of recurrence and metastasis. As a local treatment, radiotherapy is complement to the inadequacy of surgery. Thus, we believe that perioperative radiotherapy is not recommended for patients with standard R0 surgery and adequate lymph node dissection, but rather requires accurate prediction of their recurrence and metastasis patterns based on accurate clinical and pathological staging, and thus screening of those who may benefit from radiotherapy.

Adequate Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection in Radical Cystectomy in the Era of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Radical cystectomy (RC) with pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLND) serves as the gold-standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Numerous studies have shown that the number of lymph nodes (LN) removed during RC could affect patient prognosis. However, these studies confirmed the association between PLND and survival outcomes prior to the widespread adoption of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of PLND in patients previously pretreated with NAC. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus databases. The selected studies contained a total of 17,421 participants. The meta-analysis indicated a significant correlation between adequate PLND and overall survival in the non-NAC group. However, a survival benefit was not observed in patients undergoing RC with preoperative systemic therapy, regardless of the LN cut-off thresholds. The pooled HR for ≥10 and ≥15 LN were 0.87 (95% CI 0.75-1.01) and 0.87 (95% CI 0.76-1.00), respectively. The study results suggest that NAC mitigates the therapeutic significance of PLND, as patients pre-treated with NAC no longer gain oncological benefits from more extensive lymphadenectomy. This highlights the analogous roles of NAC and PLND in eradication of micrometastases and in prevention of distal recurrence post-RC.

Level of Inferior Mesenteric Artery Ligation in Sigmoid Colon and Rectal Cancer Surgery: Analysis of Apical Lymph Node Metastasis and Recurrence

Introduction: Whether high or low ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) is optimal for treating sigmoid colon and rectal cancers is controversial. The present study aimed to compare outcomes of high and low ligation of the IMA and determine the adequate extent of IMA lymph node dissection. Methods: Subjects were 455 consecutive stage I–III colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative surgery between 2011 and 2019. We assessed the association between the level of IMA ligation and overall survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS) by propensity score matching analysis. Clinicopathological features of IMA lymph node metastasis and recurrence patterns were analyzed. Results: After propensity score matching, the low ligation group had a significantly worse prognosis than that of the high ligation group for RFS (p = 0.039). Positive IMA lymph nodes were associated with pathological T3 or T4 stage and N2 stage. IMA lymph node recurrences in the high ligation group occurred at the superior left side of the IMA root. In contrast, all recurrences in the low ligation group occurred at the left colic artery bifurcation. Conclusion: High ligation of IMA is oncologically safe. However, even with high ligation, care must be taken to ensure adequate lymph node dissection.

Gastric cancer: Neural networks, complex system analysis, statistics and computer modeling for best management.

37 Background: We examined factors of alive supersystems – gastric cancer (GC) patients (GCP) and cell ratio factors (CRF) significantly affecting GCP survival. CRF - ratio between cancer cells (CC) and blood cells subpopulations. Methods: We analyzed data of 799 consecutive GCP (T1-4N0-2M0) (age=57.1±9.4 years; tumor size=5.4±3.1 cm) radically operated (R0) and monitored in 1975-2023 (m=558, f=241; total gastrectomies (G)=173, distal G=461; proximal G=165; combined G=247 with resection of esophagus, pancreas, liver, duodenum, diaphragm, colon transversum, splenectomy, etc; only surgery-S=624, adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy-AT=175 (5-FU + thymalin/taktivin); T1=238, T2=220, T3=184, T4=157; N0=437, N1=109, N2=253, M0=799. Variables selected for prognosis study were input levels of 45 blood parameters, sex, age, TNMG, cell type, tumor size. Survival curves were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in curves between groups of GCP were evaluated using a log-rank test. Multivariate Cox modeling, discriminant analysis, clustering, SEPATH, Monte Carlo, bootstrap and neural networks computing were used to determine any significant dependence. Results: Overall life span (LS) was 2128.9±2300.3 days and cumulative 5-year survival (5YS) reached 58.4%, 10 years – 51.9%, 20 years – 39%, 30 years – 27.2%. 318 GCP lived more than 5 years (LS=4304.5±2290.6 days), 169 GCP – more than 10 years (LS=5919.5±2020 days). 290 GCP died because of GC (LS=651±347.2 days). Cox modeling displayed that GCP survival significantly depended on CRF: healthy cells/CC, erythrocytes/CC, monocytes/CC, phase transition (PT) in terms of synergetics early—invasive cancer; PT N0--N12, age, G1-3, hemorrhage time, ESS, sex, AT, prothrombin index, residual nitrogen. Neural networks, genetic algorithm selection and bootstrap simulation revealed relationships between 5YS and PT early—invasive cancer (rank=1); PT N0--N12 (2); healthy cells/CC (3), erythrocytes/CC (4), thrombocytes/CC (5), monocytes/CC (6), segmented neutrophils/CC (7), leucocytes/CC (8), lymphocytes/CC (9), stick neutrophils/CC (10), eosinophils/CC (11). Correct prediction of 5YS was 100% by neural networks computing (area under ROC curve=1.0; error=0.0). Conclusions: 5-year survival of GCP after radical procedures significantly depended on: PT “early-invasive cancer”; PT N0--N12; CRF; blood cell circuit; biochemical factors; hemostasis system; AT; GC characteristics; GC cell dynamics; tumor localization; anthropometric data; surgery type. Best diagnosis and treatment strategies for GC are: 1) screening and early detection of GC; 2) availability of experienced abdominal surgeons because of complexity of radical procedures; 3) aggressive en block surgery and adequate lymph node dissection for completeness; 4) precise prediction; 5) adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for GCP with unfavorable prognosis.

Partial and radical cystectomy provides equivalent oncologic outcomes in bladder cancer when combined with adequate lymph node dissection: A population-based study.

To compare the oncologic outcomes of bladder cancer (BCa) patients after partial cystectomy (PC) or radical cystectomy (RC) combined with lymph node dissection (LND). Relevant data from BCa patients who had >3 lymph nodes (LNs) removed were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Different thresholds of LN count in LND were tested to eliminate potential selection bias, and the optimal threshold was applied to screen patients who underwent adequate LND. After propensity score matching, the oncologic outcomes after PC or RC were compared in patients who underwent adequate LND. After preliminary screening, 6,785 BCa cases diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 with removal of > 3 LNs were enrolled in the analysis, including 633 (9.3%) PC cases and 6,152 (90.7%) RC cases. The PC and RC groups presented entirely different profiles in clinical parameters such as sex, T stage, number of lymph nodes (LNs) removed, and adjuvant therapy. In particular, the LN-positive rate and count were higher in the RC group, even after adjusting for other confounding factors. After comparison using different thresholds, the LN positive rate and count were similar when the LN count in LND was restricted to > 12. In patients who had > 12 LNs removed, after propensity score matching, PC and RC presented similar oncologic outcomes. Further exploration found that the prognosis of patients was associated with age, T stage, and the number of positive LNs. PC and RC could provide equivalent oncologic outcomes in BCa when combined with adequate LND. The conclusion needs further validation in future studies.

The Role of Lymph Node Dissection in Patients With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Who Underwent Radical Cystectomy Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

BackgroundThe interaction between lymph node dissection (LND) during radical cystectomy (RC) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the role of LND in patients undergoing RC after NAC. Patients and MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 259 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who underwent RC following NAC at Fujita Health University Hospital and Fujita Health University Okazaki Medical Center between 2010 and 2022. Baseline characteristics, pathological outcomes, recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between propensity score (PS)-matched cohorts. ResultsPS matching analysis resulted in 94 matched pairs from the adequate (standard or extended template) and inadequate (limited template or unilateral- or no-LND) LND groups. The median number of dissected nodes was significantly higher in the adequate LND group than in the inadequate LND group (19 vs. 5, P < .001). Similarly, a higher pathological node-positive rate (ypN+) was observed in the adequate group than in the inadequate group (18.1% vs. 7.4%, P = .03). The adequate LND group identified more ypN+ with ≤ ypT1 cases than the inadequate group (4 vs. 1). There were no statistically significant differences between the adequate and inadequate groups in RFS (P = .94), CSS (P = .54), and OS (P = .65). Subgroup analysis also showed comparable survival rates, even in patients with ≥ pT3 or cN+ disease. ypN+ was an independent predictor of OS in the Cox regression analysis, while adequate LND and the number of lymph nodes removed (≥10 or ≥15) were not associated with survival. ConclusionsAlthough adequate LND did not show a significant therapeutic effect in RC after NAC, adequate LND may have an important diagnostic role in detecting ypN+, which is a robust predictor, and is a useful biomarker to perform appropriate adjuvant immunotherapy especially in ≤ ypT1 cases.

Reconsidering N component of cancer staging for T1-2N0-2M0 small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective study based on multicenter cohort

BackgroundThe current nodal (pN) classification still has limitations in stratifying the prognosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with pathological classifications T1-2N0-2M0. Thus. This study aimed to develop and validate a modified nodal classification based on a multicenter cohort.Materials and methodsWe collected 1156 SCLC patients with pathological classifications T1-2N0-2M0 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and a multicenter database in China. The X-tile software was conducted to determine the optimal cutoff points of the number of examined lymph nodes (ELNs) and lymph node ratio (LNR). The Kaplan-Meier method, the Log-rank test, and the Cox regression method were used in this study. We classified patients into three pathological N modification categories, new pN#1 (pN0-#ELNs > 3), new pN#2 (pN0-#ELNs ≤ 3 or pN1-2-#LNR ≤ 0.14), and new pN#3 (N1-2-#LNR > 0.14). The Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian Information Criterion, and Concordance index (C-index) were used to compare the prognostic, predictive ability between the current pN classification and the new pN component.ResultsThe new pN classification had a satisfactory effect on survival curves (Log-rank P < 0.001). After adjusting for other confounders, the new pN classification could be an independent prognostic indicator. Besides, the new pN component had a much more accurate predictive ability in the prognostic assessment for SCLC patients of pathological classifications T1-2N0-2M0 compared with the current pN classification in the SEER database (AIC: 4705.544 vs. 4731.775; C-index: 0.654 vs. 0.617, P < 0.001). Those results were validated in the MCDB from China.ConclusionsThe multicenter cohort developed and validated a modified nodal classification for SCLC patients with pathological category T1-2N0-2M0 after surgery. Besides, we propose that an adequate lymph node dissection is essential; surgeons should perform and consider the situation of ELNs and LNR when they evaluate postoperative prognoses of SCLC patients.

Gastric Cancer Surgery in the US: a Contemporary Trend Analysis of Lymphadenectomy and the Impact of Minimally Invasive Approaches

BackgroundThe National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend harvesting 16 or more lymph nodes for the adequate staging of gastric adenocarcinoma. This study examines the rate of adequate lymphadenectomy over recent years, its predictors, and its impact on overall survival(OS). Study designThe National Cancer Database was utilized to identify patients who underwent surgical treatment for gastric adenocarcinoma between 2006–2019. Trend analysis was performed for lymphadenectomy rates during the study period. Logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier survival plots, and Cox proportional hazard regression were utilized. ResultsA total of 57,039 patients who underwent surgical treatment for gastric adenocarcinoma were identified. Only 50.5% of the patients underwent a lymphadenectomy of ≥ 16 nodes. Trend analysis showed that this rate significantly improved over the years, from 35.1% in 2006 to 63.3% in 2019 (p < .0001). The main independent predictors of adequate lymphadenectomy included high-volume facility with ≥ 31 gastrectomies/year (OR: 2.71; 95%CI:2.46–2.99), surgery between 2015–2019 (OR: 1.68; 95%CI: 1.60–1.75), and preoperative chemotherapy (OR:1.49; 95%CI:1.41–1.58). Patients with adequate lymphadenectomy had better OS than patients who did not: median survival: 59 versus 43 months (Log-Rank: p < .0001). Adequate lymphadenectomy was independently associated with improved OS (HR:0.79; 95%CI:0.77–0.81). Laparoscopic and robotic gastrectomies were independently associated with adequate lymphadenectomy compared to open, OR: 1.11, 95%CI:1.05–1.18 and OR: 1.24, 95%CI:1.13–1.35, respectively. ConclusionAlthough the rate of adequate lymphadenectomy improved over the study period, a large number of patients still lacked adequate lymph node dissection, negatively impacting their OS despite multimodality therapy. Laparoscopic and robotic surgeries were associated with a significantly higher rate of lymphadenectomy ≥ 16 nodes.