Independent Risk Factors For Cancer-specific Survival Research Articles

Role of Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection in Lymph Node-Negative Patients with Invasive Bladder Cancer

The role of pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with lymph node-negative bladder cancer at radical cystectomy (RC) has not yet been examined in detail. We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent RC with pelvic lymphadenectomy for bladder cancer from January 1987 to March 2008. We identified consecutive data on 169 patients who underwent RC for bladder cancer. The mean follow-up was 64 months (range: 1-253 months). Node-positive status (pN(+)) was seen in 16 patients and 91 were diagnosed as node-negative (pN(-)). The lymph node status of the remaining 62 patients was unclear (pN(x)). We analysed the association between lymph node status and cancer-specific survival (CSS), and examined the role of the number of retrieved lymph nodes, particularly in pN(-). The median number of retrieved nodes was 12.9 and 10.2 for stage pN(+) and stage pN(-), respectively. In 91 patients with pN(-), multivariate analysis revealed that pathological T3-4 (P = 0.0276) and less than nine retrieved lymph nodes (P = 0.0108) were independent risk factors for CSS. In a subgroup of 83 patients with pT3-4, Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the 5-year CSS rate in pN(-) patients with less than nine retrieved lymph nodes was 38.8%, which was extremely similar to the 40.8% in pN(+) and 45.1% in pN(x). Our results demonstrate that at least nine lymph nodes should be removed to improve the survival of pN(-) patients at RC and lymphadenectomy, and would provide information not only on prognosis but also on the therapeutic impact on pT3-4 invasive bladder cancer.

The Influence of Age on Survival and Recurrence after a Curative Surgical Resection for Colon Cancer Patients

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate whether age was a factor associated with oncological outcome for colon cancer patients who underwent a curative surgical resection. Methods: A retrospective study of 2,125 colon cancer patients who underwent surgery between January 1989 to December 2004 was conducted. Results: Of the 2,125 patients, 1,724 patients underwent a curative resection (R0). The patients with R0 were classified into three groups: group I (n=142) under 40 yr of age, group II (n=1,462) between 40 and 75 yr of age, and group III (n=120) over 75 yr of age. There were no significant differences in gender, tumor diameter, or postoperative complications among the groups. A history of hereditary colon cancer, advanced TNM stage (III, IV), and poorly- differentiated histology were more commonly found in group I. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered less frequently in group III. In the survival analysis, the cancer-specific survival (CSS) and the disease-free survival (DFS) rates were not different between groups I and II. The CSS and the DFS rates of group III were significantly unfavorable compared with those of groups I and II. On the multivariate analysis, old age (group III), TNM stage, and preoperative CEA level were independent risk factors for CSS and DFS. Conclusion: In colon cancer patients, tailored approaches according to age, such as early screening in young adults with family history and proper patients selection for adjuvant treatment in old patients, could be needed.