Tumor Node Metastasis Classification Research Articles

Immuno-reactivity of excised lymph nodes in neck dissections of squamous cell carcinomas of oral cavity

Background:Regional lymph nodes play an important role in acting as anatomic barriers to systemic dissemination of tumor cells. This reflects in the host immunologic response. Oral squamous cell carcinoma, is known to be associated with early deficiencies of cell-mediated immunity, the pathology of which is reflected in the histology of the regional lymph nodes.Aim:The goal of this study was to study the different immunity reactions in the lymph nodes and to correlate it with the histopathology of tumor proper.Materials and Methods:Out of 40 head and neck dissections, 30 were male and 10 females within the age range of 21–72 years. According to Tumor Node Metastasis classification, there were 12 cases of stage II and stage III, respectively while 16 were of stage IV. A total of 372 nodes were histologically evaluated. The harvested lymph nodes were categorized into metastatic and non-metastatic nodes exhibiting four patterns as: Lymphocyte predominance pattern, germinal center predominance pattern, lymphocyte depleted pattern and unstimulated pattern.Results:The predominant pattern of lymph node reactivity was of lymphocyte predominance (199 nodes) followed by germinal center predominance (117 nodes); lymphocyte depleted (17 nodes) and unstimulated node pattern (39 nodes). Twenty-seven nodes were positive for metastasis. A statistically significant relationship (P = 0.0019 and P = 0.0290, chi square, respectively) was observed between the number of nodes harvested and stage and level of lymph nodes. A brief follow-up period of 3 years was carried out.Conclusion:Further studies relating the immuno-morphologic assessment of the lymph nodes in conjunction with other factors may be helpful in assessing the metastases risk of the individual.

Tumor volume as a prognostic factor was superior to the seventh edition of the pT classification in resectable gastric cancer

PurposeTo demonstrate that the seventh edition of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification for gastric cancer (GC) should be updated with the tumor volume (pTV) for the improvement of its prognostic prediction accuracy. MethodsA total of 497 stage TNM I–III GC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy between January 2003 and December 2007 in our center were enrolled in this study. pTV equals to (tumor diameter/2)2 × pT stage. ResultsIn the step 1 multivariate analysis, depth of invasion (pT) was confirmed to be an independent prognostic factors. However, when pTV was included in the step 2 multivariate analysis, pTV classification became significant, while pT classification disappeared. pT classification was substituted by pTV. For patients in each of the pT, significant differences in survival could always be observed among patients in different pTV classification. For patients in each pTV classification, prognosis was highly homologous between those in different pT classifications. TNM classification and the tumor volume-node-metastasis (TvNM) classification were directly compared for convenience. We found the TvNM classification (HR = 1.687, P < 0.001) was the most appropriately prognostic classification for predicting the OS of gastric cancer patients after curative surgery. ConclusionspTV maybe an independent prognostic factor in overall survival in GC, and pTV staging system maybe more reliable than the Union International Center Cancer and American Joint Committee (UICC/AJCC) on cancer pT system for prognostic assessment. pTV should be recommended as an important clinicopathologic variable for enhancement the accuracy of the prognostic prediction of GC patients in clinic.

Frequency of therapy-relevant staging shifts in colorectal cancer through the introduction of pN1c in the 7th TNM edition

BackgroundpN1c is a novel N-category introduced for colorectal cancer (CRC) in current TNM (Tumour, Node, Metastasis) classification. It represents cancers displaying tumour deposits (TDs) in the fat but no involvement of lymph nodes. pN1c is integrated into the UICC (International Union Against Cancer) staging system and shifts previous stage II cancers (6th edition) to stage III. We investigated the frequency of upstaging and TD prognostic significance. Methods414 CRCs, consecutively collected during a population-based epidemiological study, TNM classified and UICC staged according to the 6th TNM edition were reinvestigated for TD presence. The association with survival was investigated after a median follow-up time of 5years in multivariate analyses among nodal negative and positive cases. ResultsTDs were found in 103 (24.9%) cancers and were strongly associated with T-, N- and M-stages (p<0.0001, each). Upstaging of previous stage II cancers by the presence of TDs (pN1c) was found in six of 140 cases (4.3% of stage II, 1.4% of all tumours). For stage III CRC, strongly reduced overall, CRC-specific and recurrence-free survival were observed with the presence of TDs (hazard ratios (HR) 2.29, 95% confidence interval 1.27–4.10, HR 2.51, 1.27–4.98, and HR 2.43, 1.32–4.48, respectively). ConclusionsUpstaging of CRCs through the introduction of pN1c occurs in less than 5% of previous stage II and less than 2% of all cancers. Given the biologic relevance of TDs, integration into the UICC staging relevant N-category is justified. The high prognostic impact of TDs, however, is not reflected in nodal positive cancers in both the TNM and UICC staging systems.

Ki67 is a Prognostic Marker for Neuroendocrine Tumors

ABSTRACT Aim: To explore the expression of Ki67 in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and evaluate its prognostic value in patients with NETs. Methods: A retrospective 188 patients diagnosed with histopathologically confirmation NETs at the first Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January, 2005 to December, 2010 were received. Immunohistochemical staining for Ki67 was performed using archived tumor blocks. The expression of Ki67 in tumor specimens was used to determine the NET grade (G1, G2, or G3); tumor node metastasis (TNM) classification data were also collected for analysis. Results: Of 106 patients with TNM staging data available, the mortality rate of stage I, II, III, IV was 9.4%, 17.1%, 40%, and 64.3%; mean overall survival (mOS) was 34.2, 24.1, 24.1 and 24.0 months; the two-year survival rate was 83.9%, 85.7%, 55.2% and 33.7%; and the five-year survival rate was 83.9%, 76.2%, 55.2% and 16.8%. For G1, G2, and G3 tumor grades, the mortality rate was 10.9%, 45.0% and 54.5%; mOS was 39.3, 29.0, and 24.0 months; the 2-year survival rate was 83.3%, 46.4%, and 34.0%; and the 5-year survival rate was 77.8%, 46.4%, and 34.0%. There were significant differences among different TNM stages and Ki67 tumor grading for mOS, and 2-year and 5-year survival rates (P Conclusions: Patients with NETs of higher TNM stage or higher Ki67 proliferation index had a poorer prognosis, compared to those with NETs of a lower stage or grade. The Ki67 proliferative index is an essential parameter for predicting the prognosis of patients with NETs. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

The rationality of N3 classification in the 7th edition of the International Union Against Cancer TNM staging system for gastric adenocarcinomas: A case-control study

BackgroundThe 7th edition of the International Union Against Cancer/American Joint Committee on Cancer (UICC/AJCC) tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification system for gastric cancer is more detailed than the 6th edition with respect to tumor depth and lymph node metastasis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rationality of the 7th UICC/AJCC TNM classification system, focusing on N3 gastric cancers. MethodsA total of 338 patients with N3 gastric cancer who underwent curative resection with ≥16 retrieved lymph nodes at two institutions between January 1997 and December 2007 were included in this study. Patients were divided into the N3a (n = 210) and N3b (n = 128) groups. Clinicopathologic characteristics and survival rates were compared between groups. ResultsNo difference in clinicopathologic characteristics, including age (p = 0.989), sex (p = 0.382), tumor location (p = 0.124), surgery type (p = 0.909), depth of invasion (p = 0.313), histologic type (p = 0.111), and Lauren classification (p = 0.491), was observed between patients with N3a and N3b gastric cancer. However, overall survival (OS) rates of patients with N3a gastric cancer were greater than that of patients with N3b gastric cancer (5-year OS, 46% vs. 28%; 10-year OS, 33% vs. 19%; both p < 0.001). Five-year survival rates differed significantly between patients with T3N3a and T3N3b (p = 0.006) sub-stages and between those with T4aN3a and T4aN3b (p = 0.004) sub-stages. ConclusionsThe results of this study support N3 sub-classification for gastric cancers, which warrant differential consideration according to TNM stage.

Integrin αvβ5 as a biomarker for the assessment of non-small cell lung cancer metastasis and overall survival.

There is growing interest in how integrins play a role in cancer disease biology and what applications these may have in anti-cancer therapeutic development. This study investigates integrin αvβ5 expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and its correlations with clinical information. Tumor human tissue microarrays of 147 radically operated Chinese NSCLC patients were retrieved from the pathology archive, and sections were autoimmune stained along with positive and negative controls. Integrin αvβ5 (P1F6) mouse monoclonal antibody were validated by both Western blotting and immunoreactivity on the same set of cell pellets, according to a precedent of expression levels in cell flow cytometry. The immunoreactivity of all patients' cases against integrin αvβ5 antibody was graded in a semi-quantitative manner by two pathologists blind to any patient data. Overall survival significantly correlated to integrin αvβ5 immunoreactivity by Cox regression analysis with P = 0.032. When applying Kaplan-Meier to analyze the comparison between positive and negative expression on lymph node metastasis patients, P = 0.082. Therefore, integrin αvβ5 expression emerges as a significant prognostic factor for NSCLC. In total, 39 of 147 (26.5%) showed an integrin αvβ5 immunoreactivity positive, as it ranged from 6.1% in squamous cell carcinoma to 19.7% in adenocarcinoma. This expression correlated significantly with histological subtypes (P = 0.007), tumor node metastasis classification of malignant tumors (P = 0.027) and lymph node metastases (P = 0.006). This study support the hypothesis that integrin αvβ5 is a prognostic biomarker and correlates to metastasis with therapeutic development potential in NSCLC.

The Addition of C-Reactive Protein to Validated Staging Systems Improves Their Prognostic Ability in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objectives: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a practical prognostic marker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the prognostic value of adding the CRP level to other validated staging systems (Cancer Liver Italian Program, Japan Integrated Staging, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification system, Tokyo score and tumor node metastasis classification) in HCC patients. Methods: One hundred and eighty-six newly diagnosed HCC patients were retrospectively evaluated. A multivariate analysis identified the clinicopathological variables associated with overall survival; the variables identified were then added to each staging system and compared to those without the additional variable. Results: In multivariate analysis, an elevated serum CRP level was independently associated with a poor prognosis (hazard ratio 3.792, p < 0.0001). The addition of the CRP level to each of the established staging systems provided a higher linear χ² value and a lower -2 log likelihood than those without the addition of the term. Moreover, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis showed that the addition of CRP improved the AUC of each staging system. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that an elevated serum CRP level is independently associated with a poor prognosis in HCC patients, and the addition of the CRP level to the validated staging systems could improve the prognostic ability of each staging system.

Prognostic significance of metastatic lymph nodes ratio in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma after curative gastrectomy

Background We evaluated the impact of the number of metastatic lymph nodes and the metastatic lymph nodes ratio (the ratio between metastatic lymph nodes and total dissected lymph nodes, MLNR) in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma following curative gastrectomy and also analyzed the relationship between the number of removed lymph nodes and prognosis in node-negative gastric cancer. Methods From January 2005 to December 2010, 1 390 patients who were diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma and underwent curative gastrectomy were included. In particular, lymph node metastasis was not present in 515 patients. The number of metastatic lymph nodes and the metastatic lymph nodes ratio were selected for univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate their influences on the disease outcome. The survival curve was presented according to the number of removed lymph nodes in node-negative gastric cancer using Kaplan-Meier plots. Results The overall 5-year survival rate was 54% in this group. Univariate analysis revealed that age category, macroscopic appearance, histological grade, tumor size, depth of primary tumor invasion, number of metastatic lymph nodes, metastatic lymph nodes ratio, tumor, nodes, metastasis-classification (TNM) stage and status of lymphovascular, and vessel invasion have significant impact on survival. The number of metastatic lymph nodes and the metastatic lymph nodes ratio both have significant impact on survival (P &lt;0.001). However, in multivariate analyses, only the metastatic lymph nodes ratio was identified to be an independent prognostic factor (P &lt;0.001). The number of removed lymph nodes in node-negative was a strong prognostic factor of survival, the more lymph nodes dissected, the better the survival. Conclusions The metastatic lymph nodes ratio has more significant prognostic value for survival in patients with gastric cancer following curative gastrectomy than the number of metastatic lymph nodes. The number of removed lymph nodes might be an important prognostic factor for gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis.

Sirt1 is a tumor promoter in lung adenocarcinoma.

Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent class III histone deacetylase. It reportedly can repress cellular apoptosis and senescence to affect DNA repair, stress response and aging. Notably, previous data have indicated that Sirt1 is both a tumor promoter and a tumor suppressor in tumorigenesis. However, Sirt1 expression in primary lung adenocarcinoma remains unknown. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to investigate Sirt1 expression in cancer cells in 125 consecutive resected cases of primary lung adenocarcinoma. Sirt1 expression was found to be increased in 26 (20.8%) of the 125 cases, which correlated significantly with five clinicopathological factors: Ki67 index, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) molecule expression, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification, pulmonary vein invasion and lymphatic duct invasion. In the Sirt1-positive expression group, Sirt1 expression correlated with a higher Ki67 index and higher TNM classification, particularly for lymph node invasion and metastasis, and with a higher number of pulmonary vein invasion and lymphatic duct invasion. Additionally, a negative correlation was identified between HIF1-positive expression and Sirt1-negative expression. These results indicate that Sirt1 overexpression plays a promotional role in tumorigenesis and is closely associated with invasion and metastasis and, thus, it may be associated with prognosis.

Tumor Size and Outcomes in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Treated With Radiotherapy: A Critical Review

SUMMARY: The relationship between tumor volume and outcome in non-small-cell lung cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy is complex. The tumor node metastasis classification and its inherent prognostic information are based on surgical data. Studies have shown the tumor node metastasis staging to be insufficient in providing prognostic information in patients treated with chemoradiotherapy. For larger lesions, intrinsic tumor composition and radiobiological factors may play a more important role in outcomes, while irradiating larger volumes increases the risk of toxicity. In an attempt to review the conflicting data on this topic, we systematically reviewed published studies that addressed the relationship between tumor volume and outcome in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Tumor classification for early oral cancer: Re‐evaluate the current TNM classification

We hypothesized that incorporation of tumor thickness into the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) system will provide better prognostic information. Tumors were reclassified as T1 if ≤5-mm thick/≤4-cm diameter, and T2 if >5-mm thick/≤4-cm diameter. A retrospective analysis was conducted of 322 patients with T1 and T2 oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) between 1987 and 2012. Univariable survival analysis was performed using the log-rank test and multivariable analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model. Multivariable analysis confirmed that tumor thickness is the most important predictor of disease-specific survival (DSS; hazard ratio [HR], 2.7; p = .03) and overall survival (OS; HR, 2.9; p = .001). Using the current TNM classification system, there is no significant difference in survival between the T1 and T2 groups for DSS (p = .13) or OS (p = .66). The revised staging system was superior at stratifying patients according to the T classification for both DSS (p = .016) and OS (p < .001). Tumor thickness is an important prognostic indicator in early oral SCC and should be incorporated in the TNM classification system.

Comparison of the staging of regional lymph nodes using the sixth and seventh editions of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification system for the evaluation of overall survival in gastric cancer patients: Findings of a case-control analysis involving a single institution in China

It has recently been reported that the sixth edition of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification system for gastric cancer involving the staging of regional lymph nodes (N) has inappropriate cut-offs with regard to counts of metastatic lymph nodes. It remains controversial, however, as to whether the seventh edition of this classification system is completely accurate in staging N for the prediction of the prognosis of gastric cancer. Our aim was to determine which of these two editions of the TNM classification system was superior with regard to the prediction of the prognosis of Chinese patients with gastric cancer. We analyzed relevant clinicopathological data statistically from 1,563 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone curative resection to evaluate the sixth and seventh editions of the TNM classification system for N staging with regard to the prediction of overall survival (OS). Our survival analyses demonstrated that N staging via use of both the sixth and seventh editions of the TNM classification system was correlated with OS. Furthermore, case-control analysis indicated that the seventh edition was significantly superior to the sixth edition in predicting the OS of patients, regardless of the extent of lymphadenectomy (D1 or D2) and the number of dissected lymph nodes (<16 or ≥16). By taking into consideration both the extent of lymphadenectomy and the number of dissected lymph nodes simultaneously, we determined that the seventh edition of the TNM classification system was superior to the sixth edition regarding the evaluation of the OS in the various subgroups of gastric cancer patients. The seventh edition proved more reliable and accurate than the sixth edition of the TNM classification system in categorizing the number of metastatic lymph nodes for the purpose of predicting the OS of patients with gastric cancer after curative resection.

Radiologist’s Role in Breast Cancer Staging: Providing Key Information for Clinicians

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer, and the 5-year survival rate is largely dependent on disease stage. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for breast cancer (7th edition) provides a tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification scheme for breast cancer that is important for determining prognosis and treatment. Ascertaining the correct stage of breast cancer can be challenging, and the importance of the radiologist's role has increased over the years. The radiologist should understand how breast cancer stage is assigned and should be familiar with the AJCC's TNM classification scheme. The authors review the AJCC's TNM staging system for breast cancer with emphasis on clinical and preoperative staging, the different imaging modalities used in staging, and the key information that should be conveyed to clinicians. Radiologic information that may alter stage, prognosis, or treatment includes tumor size; number of tumor lesions; total span of disease; regional nodal status (axillary levels I-III, internal mammary, supraclavicular); locoregional invasion (involvement of the pectoralis muscle, skin, nipple, or chest wall); and distant metastases to bone, lung, brain, and liver, among other anatomic structures.

Imaging assessment of early rectal cancer.

Early rectal cancer (ERC) is defined as invasive adenocarcinoma spreading into, but not beyond, the submucosa or muscularis propria-that is a Dukes'A: T1N0 or T2N0 tumour in the tumour node metastasis (TNM) classification (Taylor et al. 2008). Among these tumours it is suggested that the most superficial T1 tumours least likely to metastasize to local lymph nodes than adenocarcinoma invading deeper where the rich lymphatic and venous plexuses within the submucosa provide a mechanism for tumour spread beyond the rectum. Currently, only about 10% of patients presenting symptomatically with rectal cancer are diagnosed with early disease; however, up to 30% of screen detected cancers are being identified as Dukes'A. Thus, the overall detection of early stage tumours is likely to increase following greater implementation in screening programs. The goal of this invited review is to provide recommendations based on the consensus discussion on the information from preoperative imaging that is of relevance for clinical decision-making for patients with early rectal cancer.

Clinical and histopathological correlations of fecal calprotectin release in colorectal carcinoma.

To determine calprotectin release before and after colorectal cancer operation and compare it to tumor and histopathological parameters. The study was performed on patients with diagnosed colorectal cancer admitted for operation. Calprotectin was measured in a single stool sample before and three months after the operation using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Calprotectin levels greater than or equal to 50 μg/g were considered positive. The compliance for collecting stool samples was assessed and the value of calprotectin was correlated to tumor and histopathological parameters of intra- and peri-tumoral inflammation. Surgical specimens were fixed in neutral buffered formalin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Staging was performed according to the Dukes classification system and the 7(th) edition tumor node metastasis classification system. Intra- and peri-tumoral inflammation was graded according to the Klintrup criteria. Immunohistochemical quantification was performed for MPO, CD45R0, TIA-1, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD57, and granzyme B. Statistical significance was measured using Wilcoxon signed rank test, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient as appropriate. Between March 2009 and May 2011, 80 patients with colorectal cancer (46 men and 34 women, with mean age of 71 ± 11.7 years old) were enrolled in the study. Twenty-six patients had rectal carcinoma, 29 had left-side tumors, 23 had right-side tumors, and 2 had bilateral carcinoma. In total, 71.2% of the patients had increased levels of calprotectin before the operation (median 205 μg/g, range 50-2405 μg/g) and experienced a significant decrease three months after the operation (46 μg/g, range 10-384 μg/g, P < 0001). The compliance for collecting stool samples was 89.5%. Patients with T3 and T4 tumors had significantly higher values than those with T1 and T2 cancers (P = 0.022). For all other tumor parameters (N, M, G, L, V, Pn) and location, no significant difference in calprotectin concentration was found. Furthermore, the calprotectin levels and histological grading of both peri- and intra-tumoral inflammation was not correlated. Additional testing with specific markers for lymphocytes and neutrophils also revealed no statistically significant correlation. Fecal calprotectin decreases significantly after colorectal cancer operation. Its value depends exclusively on the individual T-stage, but not on other tumor or histopathological parameters.

Colorectal cancer and immunity: what we know and perspectives.

Strong evidence supports the concept of immunosurveillance and immunoediting in colorectal cancer. In particular, the density of T CD8⁺ and CD45⁺ lymphocyte infiltration was recently shown to have a better prognostic value than the classic tumor node metastasis classification factor. Other immune subsets, as macrophages, natural killer cells or unconventionnal lymphocytes, seem to play an important role. Induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) or immunosuppressive molecules such as PD-1 or CTLA-4 and downregulation of antigen-presenting molecules are major escape mechanisms to antitumor immune response. The development of these mechanisms is a major obstacle to the establishment of an effective immune response, but also to the use of immunotherapy. Although immunotherapy is not yet routinely used in colorectal cancer, we now know that most treatments used (chemotherapy and biotherapy) have immunomodulatory effects, such as induction of immunogenic cell death by chemotherapy, inhibition of immunosuppression by antiangiogenic agents, and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity induced by cetuximab. Finally, many immunotherapy strategies are being developed and tested in phase I to III clinical trials. The most promising strategies are boosting the immune system with cytokines, inhibition of immunoregulatory checkpoints, vaccination with vectorized antigens, and adoptive cell therapy. Comprehension of antitumor immune response and combination of the different approaches of immunotherapy may allow the use of effective immunotherapy for treatment of colorectal cancer in the near future.

Correlation between tuberous sclerosis complex 2 and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta levels, and outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated by hepatectomy

Tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2), a tumor suppressor, may play an essential role in the regulation of cell growth and cell survival under energy stress conditions. In addition, TSC2 may act in concert with Wnt and energy signals by additional phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) to regulate cell growth. The expression levels and function of TSC2 and GSK3β in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. The protein levels of TSC2 and GSK3β were measured by immunohistochemistry in normal liver (n = 20), HCC (n = 80) and pericancerous tissues (n = 80). The correlations between TSC2, and GSK3β levels, clinicopathological features and patient survival were also analyzed. The protein levels of TSC2 and GSK3β in HCC tissues were significantly lower than that in normal liver tissues and pericancerous tissues (P < 0.05). Decreased TSC2 and GSK3β expression was found to be significantly correlated with advanced clinicopathological characteristics and poor prognosis. The results also showed that TSC2 protein levels were associated with GSK3β expression in HCC specimens. This is the first demonstration that the decreases in TSC2 and GSK3β levels may be associated with vascular invasion, histological grade and tumor-node-metastasis classification.

Negative Node Count Improvement Prognostic Prediction of the Seventh Edition of the TNM Classification for Gastric Cancer

ObjectiveTo demonstrate that the seventh edition of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification for gastric cancer (GC) should be updated with the number of negative lymph nodes for the improvement of its prognostic prediction accuracy.MethodsClinicopathological data of 769 GC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy between 1997 and 2006 were retrospectively analyzed to demonstrate the superiority of prognostic efficiency of the seventh edition of the TNM classification, which can be improved by combining the number of negative lymph nodes.ResultsWith the Cox regression multivariate analysis, the seventh edition of the TNM classification, the number of negative nodes, the type of gastrectomy, and the depth of tumor invasion (T stage) were identified as independent factors for predicting the overall survival of GC patients. Furthermore, we confirmed that the T stage-N stage–number of negative lymph nodes–metastasis (TNnM) classification is the most appropriate prognostic predictor of GC patients by using case-control matched fashion and multinominal logistic regression. Finally, we were able to clarify that TNnM classification may provide more precise survival differences among the different TNM sub-stages of GC by using the measure of agreement (Kappa coefficient), the McNemar value, the Akaike information criterion, and the Bayesian Information Criterion compared with the seventh edition of the TNM classification.ConclusionThe number of negative nodes, as an important prognostic predictor of GC, can improve the prognostic prediction efficiency of the seventh edition of the TNM classification for GC, which should be recommended for conventional clinical applications.

Can enough lymph nodes be taken out through lateral neck dissection in patients with larynx cancer?

This study aims to evaluate whether the number of lymph nodes which are dissected by lateral neck dissection (LND) is enough and to compare the number of lymph nodes which are dissected from the same lymph node regions by radical and type 1 modified radical neck dissection (RND). Between January 2000 and June 2004, data of 98 neck dissection materials which were performed to 63 patients (52 males, 11 females; mean age 61.9 years; range 48 to 75 years) with larynx cancer were retrospectively analyzed. The number of lymph nodes taken from the second, third and fourth regions of radical and type 1 modified RND and LND were individually and totally compared. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor node metastasis (TNM) classification system was used for primary tumor and neck metastasis classification, while the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center classification system was used for the classification of cervical lymphatic chain. Two patients (3.17%) had subglottic, 19 (30.15%) had glottic, and 42 (66.66%) had supraglottic lesions. A total of 732 lymph nodes were removed from three regions in RND group, while 1042 lymph nodes were removed in LND group. Our study results showed that the number of lymph nodes removed by LND was sufficient and RBD was not superior in terms of the number of lymph nodes removed.

In Patients with Colorectal Cancer, Preoperative Serum Interleukin-6 Level and Granulocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio Are Clinically Relevant Biomarkers of Long-Term Cancer Progression

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of the serum inflammatory cytokines and the blood granulocytes/lymphocytes (G/L) ratio in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: Forty-six patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancer. The G/L ratio and serum inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were measured before surgery and correlated with the Tumour Node Metastasis classification and overall survival. Results: Serum IL-6 in T3-4, N1-2, M1 cases and cancer stages III-IV sub-groups was significantly higher than in Tis-2, N0, M0 and cancer stages 0-II sub-groups. The G/L ratio, serum M-CSF and TNF-α in T3-4 cases were significantly higher than in Tis-2 cases. Furthermore, the G/L ratio and serum IL-6 showed a significant inverse correlation with the overall survival, while the G/L ratio showed a significant positive correlation with serum IL-6, TNF-α and M-CSF. Multivariate analysis showed that the serum IL-6 level and G/L ratio were independent risk factors for poor prognosis. Conclusions: In this investigation, a pre-operative high level of serum IL-6 and the G/L ratio appeared to be significant predictive factors for cancer progression and poor prognosis. Accordingly, these variables might be clinically relevant biomarkers in patients with colorectal cancer.