Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio Research Articles

Lymph node involvement and metastatic lymph node ratio influence the survival of malignant pleural mesothelioma: A French multicenter retrospective study

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare tumor with disastrous evolution. The prognostic value of nodal involvement is still debated. We analyzed the impact of nodal involvement on overall survival (OS) in patients treated by multimodal therapy including extra pleural pneumonectomy (EPP). We evaluated the role, as a prognostic factor, of the metastatic lymph node ratio (LNR), corresponding to the number of involved nodes out of the total number of removed nodes. In this retrospective multicentric study, we reviewed the data of 99 MPM patients. Information regarding lymph node involvement was assessed from the final pathology reports. N1-N3 patients were pooled as N+ group. The OS, calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, was compared using the log-rank test. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify independent prognostic factors. For the whole cohort, median OS was 18.3 months and 5-year survival was 17.5%. N+ status reduced significantly the median survival (22.4 months for N0 patients vs 12.7 months for N+ patients, P=0.002). A lower metastatic LNR (≤13%) was associated with a significantly improved median survival (19.9 vs. 11.7 months, P=0.01). OS was not related to the number of involved or total removed lymph nodes. In multivariate analysis, only adjuvant radiotherapy (P=0.001) was identified as an independent positive prognostic factor. Metastatic LNR is a more reliable prognostic factor than the number of involved lymph nodes or the total number of removed nodes. However, it could not be identified as an independent prognostic factor.

Evaluation of the prognostic value of the metastatic lymph node ratio for gastric cancer

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of metastatic lymph node (LN) ratio (LNR) compared with pathologic node (pN) category. MethodsThree hundred ninety-nine patients with gastric cancer with R0 resection were reviewed. LNR, pN, and the number of retrieved LNs were evaluated in node-positive groups with ≥15 or <15 LNs resected and a node-negative group, respectively, by univariate and multivariate analyses. Associations of pN and LNR with the number of retrieved LNs were determined using Spearman's rank correlation test. ResultsLNR and pN were correlated with overall survival. For the node-positive group with ≥15 LNs retrieved, pN and LNR were independent prognostic factors, with the hazard ratio higher for LNR; neither was correlated with the number of retrieved LNs. For the group with <15 LNs retrieved, LNR but not pN was an independent prognostic factor, with LNR uncorrelated with the number of LNs retrieved. For the node-negative group, the number of LNs retrieved retained an independent prognostic factor. ConclusionsLNR is an independent prognostic factor in node-positive patients with gastric cancer with R0 resection, and it is uninfluenced by the number of LNs retrieved. It may be superior to pN.

Metastatic lymph node ratio in stage III rectal carcinoma is a valuable prognostic factor even with less than 12 lymph nodes retrieved: a prospective study

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of metastatic lymph node (LN) ratio (MLNR) in stage III rectal cancer and whether this prognostic value remains significant when <12 LNs are retrieved. MethodsThis prospective study included 115 patients with stage III rectal cancer from 2006 to 2010. All patients underwent neoadjuvant long-course chemoradiation, curative resection, and postoperative adjuvant therapy (5-fluorouracil and leucovorin). Data collected included demographics, tumor pathology, tumor-node-metastasis staging, number of LNs retrieved, MLNR, recurrence, and mortality. ResultsThe mean number of examined LNs was 12.1, and the mean number of metastatic LNs was 3.5 (range, 1 to 19). The mean MLNR was .37 (range, 0 to 1.00). The mean duration of follow-up was 37 months (range, 24 to 63). Forty patients died during the follow-up period (overall mortality, 34.8%), only 31 because of cancer (cancer-specific mortality, 27%). Univariate analysis revealed that ypN stage, lymphovascular invasion, and follow-up duration were significantly associated with increased recurrence and decreased survival. Number of positive nodes and ypT stage significantly affected recurrence, with no effect on overall survival. Multivariate analysis proved that MLNR was the only independent risk factor for both mortality and recurrence. Prognostic capability was not affected by having <12 nodes retrieved. The best sensitivity and specificity of MLNR as a prognostic factor for both tumor recurrence and overall survival were achieved at a cutoff value of .375. ConclusionsMLNR is an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and survival after the resection of stage III rectal cancer, with high sensitivity and specificity in patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiation and postoperative chemotherapy. The total number of LN retrieved did not affect the prognostic value of MLNR even if <12.

Metastatic Axillary Lymph Node Ratio (LNR) is Prognostically Superior to pN Staging in Patients with Breast Cancer -- Results for 804 Chinese Patients from a Single Institution

The number of axillary lymph nodes involved and retrieved are important prognostic factors in breast cancer. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether the lymph node ratio (LNR) is a better prognostic factor in predicting disease-free survival (DFS) for breast cancer patients as compared with pN staging. The analysis was based on 804 breast cancer patients who had underwent axillary lymph node dissection between 1999 and 2008 in Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center. Optimal cutoff points of LNR were calculated using X-tile software and validated by bootstrapping. Patients were then divided into three groups (low-, intermediate-, and high-risk) according to the cutoff points. Predicting risk factors for relapse were performed according to Cox proportional hazards analysis. DFS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. The 5-year DFS rate decreased significantly with increasing LNRs and pN. Univariate analysis found that the pT , pN, LNR, molecule type, HER2, pTNM stage and radiotherapy well classified patients with significantly different prognosis. By multivariate analysis, only LNR classification was retained as an independent prognostic factor. Furthermore, there was a significant prognostic difference among different LNR categories for pN2 category, but no apparent prognostic difference was seen between different pN categories in any LNR category. Therefore, LNR rather than pN staging is preferable in predicting DFS in node positive breast cancer patients, and routine clinical decision-making should take the LNR into consideration.

Comparison of metastatic lymph node ratio staging system with the 7th AJCC system for colorectal cancer

To evaluate the prognostic value and staging accuracy of the metastatic lymph node ratio (rN) staging system for colorectal cancer. A total of 1,127 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent curative surgery between 2000 and 2011 at our institute were analyzed. Lymph nodes status was assigned according to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) pN system and rN system. Patients with colon cancer (group 1, n = 652) and rectal cancer (group 2, n = 475) were analyzed separately. The rN staging system was generated using 0.2 and 0.6 as the cutoff values of lymph node ratio and then compared with AJCC pN stages. Linear regression model revealed that the number of retrieved lymph node was related to number of metastatic lymph nodes. After a median follow-up of 46 months, the 5-year survival rates of patients with more than 12 lymph nodes (LNs) retrieved were better than cases with fewer than 12 LNs, while the differences were not obvious in rN classification. The rN category is a better prognostic tool than the AJCC pN category for colorectal cancer patients after curative surgery.

Use of the Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio to Evaluate the Prognosis of Esophageal Cancer Patients with Node Metastasis Following Radical Esophagectomy

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to investigate the number of metastatic lymph nodes (pN) and the metastatic lymph node ratio (MLR) on the post-surgical prognosis of Chinese patients with esophageal cancer (EC) and lymph node metastasis.MethodsWe enrolled 353 patients who received primary curative resection for EC from 1990 to 2003. The association of pN and MLR with 5-year overall survival (OS) was examined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates, and survival curves were compared with the log-rank test. The Cox model was employed for univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with 5-year OS.ResultsThe median follow-up time was 41 months, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 71.2%, 30.4%, and 19.5%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that age, pN stage, and the MLR were prognostic factors for OS. Patients with MLRs less than 0.15, MLRs of 0.15-0.30, and MLRs greater than 0.30 had 5-year OS rates of 30.1%, 17.8%, and 9.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). Patients classified as pN1, pN2, and pN3 had 5-year OS rates of 23.7%, 11.4%, and 9.9%, respectively (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that a high MLR and advanced age were significant and independent risk factors for poor OS. Patients classified as pN2 had significantly worse OS than those classified as pN1 (p = 0.022), but those classified as pN3 had similar OS as those classified as pN1 (p = 0.166). ROC analysis indicated that MLR (AUC = 0.585, p = 0.016) had better predictive value than pN (AUC = 0.565, p = 0.068).ConclusionsThe integrated use of MLR and pN may be suitable for evaluation of OS in Chinese patients with EC and positive nodal metastasis after curative resection.

Prognostic value of metastatic lymph node ratio in adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction

To compare the prognostic value of AJCC/UICC pN stage with metastatic lymph node ratio (MLR) and the prognostic difference between the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and tumor-ratio-metastasis (TRM) stage in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. Clinical data of 414 patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction undergoing curative resection at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2000 to June 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to examine the correlations between pN, MLR and retrieved nodes. Univariate Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis were performed to analyze the effects of pN, MLR, TNM and TRM stage on the prognosis of these patients. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was plotted to compare the value of these stages and to predict the 5-year survival rate. The median number of retrieved nodes was 17 (4-71) per patient, and the median number of positive nodes was 4 (0-67) per patient. The number of metastatic lymph node was positively correlated with that of retrieved nodes (P<0.01), but MLR was not correlated with the number of retrieved nodes (P>0.05). Univariate and multivariate survival analysis showed that either pN or MLR could be used as an independent risk factor for survival (P<0.01) and the hazard ratio of MLR stage was larger than that of pN stage (1.573 vs 1.382). While pN and MLR were entered into the Cox hazard ratio model as covariates at the same time, MLR remained as the independent prognostic factor (P<0.01), but pN lost significance (P>0.05). The AUC of MLR and pN staging was 0.726 and 0.714, and of TRM and TNM staging was 0.747 and 0.736, respectively, however the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). MLR is an independent prognostic factor for patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. The value of MLR and TRM staging systems may be superior to pN and TNM staging systems in evaluating the prognosis of these patients.

The role of lymph-node ratio in predicting recurrence after total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer

Metastatic lymph-node ratio, which is defined as the ratio of positive nodes out of all of the retrieved nodes) has been demonstrated to be a prognostic factor in colon cancer, whereas its role in extraperitoneal rectal cancer after chemoradiation is debated. The aim of our study was to investigate the prognostic impact of lymph-node ratio in stage III rectal cancer after neoadjuvant treatment.

Role of metastatic lymph node ratio as a prognostic index in colorectal cancer surgery

The ratio of metastatic to total retrieved nodes, defined Lymph Node Ratio (LNR), has shown a better prognostic significance in several gastrointestinal cancers compared to the absolute number of positive lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to assess the value of LNR on long-term outcome of patients submitted to colorectal surgery for malignancies.

Lymph Node Ratio Is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Gastric Cancer After Curative Resection (R0) Regardless of the Examined Number of Lymph Nodes

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of the ratio between metastatic and examined lymph nodes (N ratio) in gastric cancer patients with <15 examined lymph nodes after curative resection. A retrospective study of 710 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy (R0) for gastric cancer from January 1980 to December 2000 was analyzed statistically to identify the N ratio. Patients with <15 examined lymph nodes (group 1, n=327) and those with ≥15 examined lymph nodes (group 2, n=383) were analyzed separately. N ratio categories were identified as follows: N ratio 0, 0%; N ratio 1, 1% to 9%; N ratio 2, 10% to 25%; and N ratio 3, >25%. All the enrolled categories were evaluated by the best cutoff approach. The univariate analysis showed that age, tumor site, tumor size, surgery, T categories, number of metastatic nodes, and N ratio significantly affected prognosis in groups 1 and 2. By multivariate analysis, the N ratio (but not the TNM N category) classification was retained as an independent prognostic factor in groups 1 and 2 compared with the N category system. However, patients with N1 disease in group 1 obtained a better postoperative prognosis than those with N1 disease in group 2 according to the N stage classification (P=0.003). When the N ratio classification was applied, no significant differences were found for N ratios 0, 1, 2, or 3 between the 2 groups (P>0.05). The metastatic lymph node ratio is an independent prognostic factor regardless of the examined number of lymph nodes. In predicting the prognosis of gastric cancer, the staging system based on the metastatic lymph node ratio is more reliable than the system based on the number of metastatic lymph nodes regardless of the examined number of lymph nodes. This can help improve the TNM staging classification of gastric cancer and reduce the International Union Against Cancer N categories of stage migration.

Clinical Significance of Delphian Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Delphian lymph node (DLN) metastasis has long been considered a prognostic marker of head and neck malignancy. These days, the significance of DLN in thyroid cancer has come to the fore. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of DLN metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The study was carried out between July 2009 and December 2011, and DLN was detected in 245 of 898 PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and bilateral central compartment neck dissection. In those 245 patients DLN status was correlated with clinical and pathologic factors, including age, gender, tumor size, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and central and lateral nodal metastasis. DLN metastasis was found in 20 % of the patients studied (49 of 245), and DLN metastasis was correlated with tumor size, multicentricity, bilaterality, and LVI excluding ETE (all p < 0.05). The proportion of male patients was higher in the DLN metastasis positive group than in the DLN metastasis negative group (34.7 vs. 13.3 %; p < 0.05). Most of the patients (95.9 %) with DLN metastasis had other central neck node metastasis, and the metastatic central lymph node ratio was higher (0.38 ± 0.23 versus 0.09 ± 0.16; p < 0.001) and lateral neck node metastasis was more common (2.6 vs. 32.7 % <0.001) than in patients without DLN metastasis. For central and lateral compartment nodal metastasis, DLN status had sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 100, 37.4, 58.1, and 100 %, and 85.3, 76.2, 97.4, and 32.7 %, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the factors affecting DLN involvement were tumor size and LVI. Patients with positive DLN were ~1.6 times more likely to have further central compartment disease and 3.6 times more likely to have lateral compartment disease. DLN metastasis in patients with PTC is related to a number of poor prognostic factors. Furthermore DLN involvement implies that the patients are predicted to have heavy burden of central neck node metastasis and are more likely to have further lateral neck node metastasis. It is recommended that DLN is evaluated and dissected in all patients with thyroid cancer. If DLN metastasis is suspected, the surgeon should thoroughly dissect the central neck compartment and pay particular attention to the lateral lymph node compartments.

Prognostic analysis of esophageal cancer in elderly patients: metastatic lymph node ratio versus 2010 AJCC classification by lymph nodes

BackgroundRecent studies have proposed a new prognostic factor (metastatic lymph node ratio, or MLNR) for patients with esophageal cancer (EC). However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies conducted to date regarding MLNR in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of MLNR staging compared with the 2010 American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) N staging in elderly patients with EC.MethodsFrom January 2001 to December 2009, a retrospective analysis of 132 consecutive patients older than 70 years of age with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) was conducted. Prognostic factors for disease-specific survival were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curves were also plotted to verify the accuracy of MLNR staging and N staging for survival prediction.ResultsThe disease-specific survival rates of N0, N1, N2 and N3 patients according to the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual Seventh Edition N staging were 65.5%, 42.9%, 22.2% and 0, respectively (N0 vs N1, P = 0.017; N1 vsN2, = 0.050; N2 vs N3, P < 0.001). The disease-specific survival rates of MLNR0, MLNR1, MLNR2 and MLNR3 patients were 65.5%, 45.0%, 21.1% and 0, respectively (MLNR0 vsMLNR1, P = 0.026; MLNR1 vs MLNR2, P = 0.033; MLNR2 vs MLNR3, P = 0.015). The areas under the curve were 0.731 for the 2010 AJCC N staging and 0.737 for the MLNR staging.ConclusionMLNR is an independent predictor of survival in elderly patients with ESCC. MLNR staging predicts survival after EC similarly to the 2010 AJCC N classifications and should be considered an alternative to current N staging.

Metastatic lymphs nodes and lymph node ratio as predictive factors of survival in perforated and non-perforated T4 colorectal tumors

Recently it has been hypothesized that perforation of colorectal cancer (CRC) itself is not a predictor of poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic impact, of the spontaneous perforation of the tumour, metastatic lymph nodes and lymph node ratio (LNR) after potentially curative surgery. Retrospective analysis of oncologic outcomes of patients with T4a CRC grouped by perforated and non-perforated tumours. Between 2001 and 2010, 100 patients were included. Oncologic outcomes, disease-free survival and global survival were analyzed. Forty-nine patients had a non-perforated cancer and 51 presented a perforated neoplasm. Perforated cancers had a lower mean number of lymph nodes (1.16 vs. 4.14, P < 0.001), lower LNR (0.13 vs. 0.33, P = 0.001), better TNM-stage (P < 0.001), and lower metastases during follows-up (P = 0.02). The perforated-group had higher survival (P = 0.017) and higher metastasis-free time (P = 0.03). LNR cutoffs (<0.05, 0.05-0.4, and >0.4) had significant differences in overall survival (log-rank < 0.001). The predictive value of LNR and metastatic lymph nodes in mortality was similar. In our experience, perforated cancers had higher survival rates and metastasis-free interval that non-perforated cancers, probably by a lower number of metastatic lymph nodes, smaller LNR and better TNM stage. Moreover the predictive value, in mortality rate, of metastatic lymph nodes and LNR was similar.

Short-term outcome of total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for overweight and obese patients with gastric cancer

Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer has been firmly established in recent decades but still is a difficult procedure, especially for obese patients, as with open surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the perioperative outcome of total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) for early gastric cancer patients with a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 25 kg/m(2) and to consider countermeasures to this. Perioperative outcomes were compared between 42 patients with a BMI exceeding 25 kg/m(2) [overweight or obese group (OWG)] and 174 patients with a BMI lower than 25 kg/m(2) [normal or underweight group (NWG)] who underwent TLDG between September 2010 and December 2012. The BMI was 26.0 ± 1.4 kg/m(2) in the OWG group and 22.0 ± 2.1 kg/m(2) in the NWG group (P < 0.001). The groups did not differ in terms of age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, presence of diabetes, number of retrieved lymph nodes, number of metastatic lymph nodes, or metastatic lymph node ratio. The two groups did not differ significantly with respect to the extent of lymph node dissection [OWG: D1 (11.9 %), D1+ (66.7 %), D2 (21.4 %) vs NWG: D1 (5.2 %), D1+ (51.7 %), D2 (43.1 %); P = 0.020] or tumor size (OWG: 25.5 ± 20.2 mm vs NWG: 33.0 ± 17.2 mm; P = 0.037). Differences in operation time (OWG: 212 ± 31 min vs NWG: 200 ± 35 min; P = 0.005) and estimated blood loss (OWG: 15 ± 22 ml vs NWG: 10 ± 34 ml; P = 0.013) seemed to have a minimal impact clinically. Postoperative complications including infectious complications and recovery after surgery did not differ between the two groups. For overweight and obese patients, TLDG was managed safely. The procedure was considered to be difficult but sufficiently feasible.

Nomogram predicting long-term survival probability of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical esophagectomy.

4094 Background: Nomograms have been widely and successfully used for numerous cancers to obtain reliable prognostic information for each individual patient.To date, however, no studies have conducted survival estimates using nomograms for esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Chinese population.The purpose of this study is to develop a nomogram to predict the long-term survival probabilities in patients diagnosed with ESCC after radical esophagectomy. Methods: This study involves a dataset containing 1923 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy for ESCC at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital in Hangzhou, China. Among them, 1,578 patients with no missing data were used to build a prognostic nomogram based on Cox proportional hazard regression model. A multivariate survival analysis using Cox regression model was applied to identify significant variables with P-values &lt;0.05. On the basis of the predictive model with the identified variables, a nomogram was constructed for predicting five-year and ten-year overall survival probabilities. The prediction model was internally validated using bootstrap resampling, assessing its optimism-corrected discrimination and calibration. Results: The median of overall survival times of 1578 ESCC patients was 35.6 months, and the 5-year and 10-year survival rate was 32% and 20%, respectively. The multivariate Cox model identified alcohol, tumor length, surgical approach, number of surgical removed lymph node, ratio of metastatic lymph nodes, region of lymph nodes dissection, depth of invasion, differentiation of tumor, postoperative complications as covariates significantly associated with survival. Across the 100 bootstrap replicates, the median optimism-corrected summary C-index for predicting survival was 0.713 (SE=0.011). Conclusions: A nomogram predicting 5- and 10-year overall survival after radical esophagectomy for ESCC in Chinese population was constructed and validated based on nine significant variables. The nomogram can be applied in daily clinical practice for individualized survival prediction of ESCC patients after potentially curative esophagectomy.

Prognostic impact of postoperative radiation in patients undergoing radical esophagectomy for pathologic lymph node positive esophageal cancer

PurposeThough postoperative radiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is offered in selected cases, there is conflicting evidence as to whether it improves overall survival (OS). A retrospective investigation was performed to analyze the prognostic impact of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in a large cohort of patients.MethodsFrom 2001 to 2009, 725 patients underwent radical esophagectomy (R0) with or without PORT were eligible for retrospective analysis. Patients were grouped into surgery alone (n = 467) and surgery plus PORT (n = 258). Median irradiation doses were 50 Gy (range: 40-56 Gy). Radiation fields encompassed the bilateral supraclavicular fossa, mediastinum, subcarinal area, and the tumor bed for the upper/middle-third disease; the bilateral supraclavicular fossa, mediastinum, the tumor bed, subcarinal area, and lower thoracic paraesophageal area for the lower-third disease. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis were used to compare OS.ResultsAfter median follow-up of 53 months, the median OS was 29 months in the PORT group and 23 months in the surgery alone group. The addition of PORT improved OS at 3 years from 36.6 to 43.6% compared with surgery alone. The use of PORT was associated with significantly improved OS (p = 0.018). For American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III esophageal cancer (T1-2N2M0, T3N1-2M0, T4N1-3M0), there was significant improvement in OS (p = 0.002) in the PORT group, not only for lymph-node metastatic ratio (LNMR) ≥0.25 (p = 0.001), but also for LNMR <0.25 (p = 0.043). However, for stage IIB disease (T1-2N1M0) there was no significant differences. The addition of POCT didn’t prolong the OS significantly (Surgery alone group, p = 0.079; PORT group, p = 0.111).ConclusionsThis large retrospective analysis supports the use of PORT for pathologic lymph node positive stage III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Given the retrospective nature of this study, the results should be confirmed by appropriately powered randomized trials. Further development of adjuvant therapy in EC is warranted.

The difference in clinic-pathological features between signet ring cell carcinoma and gastric mucinous adenocarcinoma

We investigated the clinical and pathological features as well as the prognosis of signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) and gastric mucinous carcinoma (GMC) to lay a foundation for the management of these two diseases. Two thousand four hundred thirty gastric cancer patients, including 288 SRCs and 80 GMCs who had received a gastrectomy between 1997 and 2007, were retrospectively evaluated. There were significant differences in tumor location, distant metastasis status, lymph node dissection, depth of invasion, Borrmann type, pTNM stage, and pathological lymph node status between SRCs and GMC (P = 0.001, 0.003, 0.01, 0.0002, 0.0013, 0.0001, and 0.265, respectively). After prognostic analysis, the cases with GMC received a relatively low 5-year specific survival rate compared to SRC (58.68 % vs. 66.25 %; P = 0.064). After Cox regression analysis, gender, age, lymph node metastatic ratio, pTNM stage, curative operation, and distant metastasis were identified as the independent prognostic factors in SRC. On the other hand, pTNM stage and distant metastasis were identified as the independent prognostic factors in GMC. In conclusion, the clinical and pathological features as well as prognosis of GMC and gastric SRC differed. Therefore, the treatment of the two diseases should be individualized.

Prognostic Value of Metastatic Axillary Lymph Node Ratio for Chinese Breast Cancer Patients

ObjectiveThe prevalence of breast cancer varies among countries and regions. This retrospective study investigated the prognostic value of the lymph node ratio (LNR) compared with the number of positive lymph nodes (pN) in Chinese breast cancer patients.MethodsThe medical records of female breast cancer patients (N = 2591) were retrospectively evaluated. The association of LNR and TMN staging system were compared with respect to overall, disease-free, and distant metastasis-free survival.ResultsOut of 2591 patients, 2495 underwent modified radical surgery and 96 received breast conserving surgery. All patients had adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery. The median follow up period 66.9 months (range 5–168 months). The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 89.3% and 78.8%, respectively, and 5-year disease-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival rates were 81.6% and 83.5%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that in general T, pN, LNR, as well as tumor expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 were associated with overall, disease-free, and distant metastasis-free survival (all P-values <0.05). Mutlivariate analysis found pN stage and LNR were independent predictors of overall, disease-free, and distant metastasis-free survival (all P-values <0.001). If pN stage and LNR were both included in a multivariate analysis, LNR was still an independent prognostic factor for overall, disease-free, and distant metastasis-free survival (all P-values <0.001).ConclusionOur findings support the use of LNR as a predictor of survival in Chinese patients with breast cancer, and that LNR is superior to pN stage in determining disease prognosis.

Abstract 2825: Using SHG to study breast cancer tumor progression.

Abstract The majority of cancer mortality is a result of metastatic events, making it increasingly important to uncover prognostic markers that can predict the metastatic potential of a primary tumor to aid in determining the best course of patient treatment. Stromal extracellular matrix restructuring increases efficiency of cell migration away from the primary tumor into surrounding tissues and vasculature, thereby enhancing metastatic potential. We have determined that the ratio of the forward propagating to backward propagating Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) signals from type I collagen can be used as a quantitative method of differentiating healthy and tumor breast tissue, and tracking stromal changes throughout tumor progression. Tumors were graded and staged according to standard pathological qualifications, incorporating morphological changes in the tissue as well as extent of tumor growth and invasion. As the tumor cells initiate development in the ducts of the breast tissue the F/B ratio of the fibrillar collagen does not change. Upon progression from an in situ to an invasive carcinoma the F/B ratio of ductal tumors significantly decreases. Taking a closer look at this phenomenon, to examine whether the invasion through the basement membrane into the surrounding tissue causes an immediate change in the F/B ratio, tumors of varying grade and stage were analyzed showing significant trends throughout development. Increased tumor grade was associated with a gradual decrease in the F/B ratio, whereas size of the tumor had no significant effect on the F/B but all sizes were significantly lower than healthy tissue. Interestingly, there was a significant increase in the F/B ratio associated with the furthest progression of lymph-node involvement. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma analysis revealed a similar decrease in F/B, but was not affected by lymph node involvement. On the other hand F/B of these tumors was significantly affected by an interaction with the chest or skin. These results provide insight into the different development processes undergone by two related breast carcinomas, which could differ due to their alternative methods of invasion and stromal components. F/B ratio measurements can be used alongside pathological analysis to provide information about the metastatic potential of the primary tumor, as demonstrated by the relationship between F/B ratio of IDC and lymph node metastasis. Enhanced scientific understanding of stromal development could be applied to the development of improved biomarkers and metastatic treatment methods. Citation Format: Kathleen A. Burke, Edward Brown. Using SHG to study breast cancer tumor progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2825. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2825

The Prognostic Value of Ratio-Based Lymph Node Staging in Resected Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Assessment of lymph node status is a critical issue in the surgical management of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We sought to determine the prognostic value of metastatic lymph node ratio (LNR) in patients with radical surgery for NSCLC. We abstracted data from 480 consecutive patients undergoing radical surgery for NSCLC between 2006 and 2008 in our institution. Kaplan-Meier estimated the survival function using the number of metastatic lymph node (MLN) and LNR as categorized variables. The prognostic value of age, sex, smoking status, location of tumor, histology, pathology T stage, pathology N stage, surgical procedure, chemotherapy, MLN, and LNR were assessed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The median numbers of examined lymph nodes and MLNs were 15 and 5, respectively. Optimal cutpoints of the LNR were calculated as 0, 0 to 0.35, and greater than 0.35. Patients with higher LNR were associated with worse OS and DFS in the whole series, whereas there was no significant difference in the OS and DFS of those patients classified as pathology N2. A multivariate analysis showed that the LNR staging, smoking status, and chemotherapy were revealed to be independent prognostic factors. LNR is an independent predictor of survival in patients with NSCLC undergoing radical resection; the prognostic significance is more valuable in patients classified as pathology N1.