T stage-dependent lymph node and distant metastasis and the accuracy of lymph node assessment in rectal cancer

Summary Objective To analyze data obtained in a representative number of patients with primary rectal cancer with respect to lymph node diagnostics and related tumor stages. Methods In pT2-, pT3-, and pT4 rectal cancer lesions, the impact of investigated lymph nodes on the frequency of pN+ status, the cumulative risk of metachronous distant metastases, and overall survival was studied by means of a prospective multicenter observational study over a defined period of time. Results From 2000 to 2011, the proportion of surgical specimens with ≥ 12 investigated lymph nodes increased significantly, from 73.6% to 93.2% (p < 0.001; the number of investigated lymph nodes from 16.2 to 20.8; p < 0.001). Despite this, the percentage of pN+ rectal cancer lesions varied only non-significantly (39.9% to 45.9%; p = 0.130; median, 44.1%). For pT2-, pT3-, and pT4 rectal cancer lesions, there was an increasing proportion of pN+ findings correlating significantly with the number of investigated lymph nodes up to n = 12 investigated lymph nodes. Only in pT3 rectal cancer was there a significant increase in pN+ findings in case of > 12 lymph nodes (p = 0.001), but not in pT2 (p = 0.655) and pT4 cancer lesions (p = 0.256). For pT3pN0cM0 rectal cancer, the risk of metachronous distant metastases and overall survival did not depend on the number of investigated lymph nodes. Conclusion In rectal cancer, at least n = 12 lymph nodes are to be minimally investigated. The investigation of fewer lymph nodes is associated with a higher risk of false-negative pN0 findings. In particular, in pT3 rectal cancer, the investigation of more than 12 lymph nodes lowers the risk of false-negative pN0 findings. An upstaging effect by the investigation of a possibly maximal number of lymph nodes could not be detected.

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P213 PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CHANGES IN LYMPH NODE MORPHOLOGY ON SURVIVAL IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER AFTER NEOADJUVANT THERAPY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSES

Diseases of the Esophagus ◽

10.1093/dote/doz092.213 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

Hagens Eliza ◽

Tukanova Karina ◽

Jamel Sara ◽

van Berge Henegouwen Mark ◽

B Hanna George ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Esophageal Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Neoadjuvant Therapy ◽

Tumor Regression ◽

Average Rate ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

Abstract Aim To assess the prognostic significance of lymph node regression or downstaging following neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer. Background and methods The prognostic value of histomorphologic regression in the primary esophageal cancer has been established, whilst the impact of lymph node response on survival still remains unclear. An electronic search was performed to identify articles evaluating lymph node regression or downstaging after neoadjuvant chemo- or chemoradiotherapy. Random effects meta-analyses were performed for regression and downstaging and primary outcome was the hazard ratio (HR) for overall mortality. Survival data were compared between patients with complete regression and those with partial or no response. Histopathological tumor regression in lymph nodes was defined by the absence of viable cells or degree of fibrosis. Furthermore, survival of patients with downstaged lymph nodes to N0 were compared to those with positive nodes following treatment. Results Eight articles were included, 4 of which assessed tumor regression (number of patients=789) and 4 assessing downstaging (number of patients=1937). Complete tumor regression (average rate of 30.0%) in the lymph nodes was associated with higher survival [HR= 0.63, 95% CI (confidence interval) = 0.43 – 0.92; p=0.017] (figure 1). Lymph nodes downstaging (average rate of 47.6%) had improved survival compared to node positivity (HR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.29 – 0.50; p<0.0001) (figure 2). Conclusion A prognostic benefit was seen in patients with good lymph node response to neoadjuvant therapy, suggesting this should be used as an important additional prognostic marker in staging and in comparative evaluation of different neoadjuvant regimes.

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The Significance of the Sentinel Lymph Node in Colorectal Cancer and its Isolation with Radioactive Colloid-A Pilot Study

Macedonian Medical Review ◽

10.2478/mmr-2014-0018 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 68 (2) ◽

pp. 89-92

Author(s):

Svetozar Antovic ◽

Nikola Jankulovski ◽

Sinisa Stojanovski

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Sentinel Lymph Node ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Gamma Camera ◽

False Negative ◽

The Other ◽

Immunohistochemical Method ◽

Systematic Lymphadenectomy ◽

Number Of Patients

AbstractIntroduction.One of the most important factors for prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), especially the 5-year survival is the status of regional lymph nodes (RLN). Threfore, today’s recommendations for systematic lymphadenectomy in CRC operations are very important. For correct staging and accepted by all international recommendations, at least 12 LN must be analyzed microscopically. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) is the first lymph node that drains lymph from the tumor and thus represents a LN that has the greatest chance to be the bearer of metastatic disease. Tests to locate the SLN in CRC have started recently and so far there is no consensus on the method for its localization or its significance. The main aim of this study was to improve the tracing of SLN by using radioactive colloid. The secondary aims were to investigate the accuracy, sensitivity and rate of method’s identification. Especially important for the analysis is the significance of SLN and its correlation with other RLN.Methods.The study is performed at the University Clinic for Digestive Surgery from January 2013 and is still ongoing. A day before the surgery endoscopically around the tumor is injected radioactive colloid with Technetium 99 (Sentiscint Tc 99m Mediradiofarma Ltd) in the amount of 4 ml, which corresponds to 4 mCi (mill curie). Immediately after that, at the Institute of Pathophysiology using a Gamma camera (Mediso DHV nucline spirit), the distribution of the colloid is monitored, which as expected is mostly accumulated in the first LN, that is the genuine sentinel lymph node, thus making lymphatic mapping that is important for identifying possible aberrant drainage. On the day of surgery at 8:00 am, a rerecording with the Gamma camera is made that shows the late distribution of contrast. All patients are operated with standard surgical technique by making resection with systematic lymphadenectomy. Promptly after removing the preparation a Gamma detector probe (Europrobe) is used to determine the radioactivity of the lymph pool and it finds the right SLN which has the highest radioactivity and it is separately sent for complete pathohistological analysis. At the Institute of Pathology all lymph nodes are first treated standardly with HE and then with immunohistochemical method.Results.So far the study includes 10 patients, 6 men and 4 women, mean age 63 years (59-77). Until now the identification rate is 100%, which means that SLN has been found in all procedures. Only in 2 patients two sentinel lymph nodes have been revealed while the in the remaining only 1, average 1.2. At PH analysis, an average of 14.2 lymph nodes have been isolated (6-25). Only in one patient false negative 1 SLN has been revealed. The number of patients with real negative SLN is 2, which means the SLN is negative and also all the other lymph nodes. The total number of patients with real positive SLN is 7, which means SLN is positive and also some of the other lymph nodes. Therefore the accuracy of the procedure is 90%. The sensitivity of the procedure in our study that is still ongoing, is 87.5%. Up to now there have been no micrometastases detected in these 10 patients with immunohistochemical methods and because of it the up staging for now is 0%. In 2 patients the SLN is the only positive lymph node of all examined LN. In none of the patients aberrant lymphatic drainage has been discovered.Conclusions.From the results obtained so far in this study, it can be concluded that the identification of the SLN with this method is possible; the accuracy and sensitivity are high and we expect them to be even higher, which is our motive to continue with the study and to analyze minimum 30 patients. We think this would be the highest number of discovered SLN by a surgeon and an institution and we believe it to be sufficient validation of the method.

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Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinical Impact of Sentinel Lymph Node Sampling in Endometrial Cancer at High Risk of Recurrence: A Meta-Analysis

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9123874 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 3874

Author(s):

Lise Lecointre ◽

Massimo Lodi ◽

Émilie Faller ◽

Thomas Boisramé ◽

Vincent Agnus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Endometrial Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

High Risk ◽

Sentinel Lymph Node ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

False Negative ◽

False Negative Rate ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

The Impact

Purpose. To assess the value of sentinel lymph node (SLN) sampling in high risk endometrial cancer according to the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO classification. Methods. We performed a comprehensive search on PubMed for clinical trials evaluating SLN sampling in patients with high risk endometrial cancer: stage I endometrioid, grade 3, with at least 50% myometrial invasion, regardless of lymphovascular space invasion status; or stage II; or node-negative stage III endometrioid, no residual disease; or non-endometrioid (serous or clear cell or undifferentiated carcinoma, or carcinosarcoma). All patients underwent SLN sampling followed by pelvic with or without para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Results. We included 17 original studies concerning 1322 women. Mean detection rates were 89% for unilateral and 68% for bilateral. Pooled sensitivity was 88.5% (95%CI: 81.2–93.2%), negative predictive value was 96.0% (95%CI: 93.1–97.7%), and false negative rate was 11.5% (95%CI: 6.8; 18.8%). We noted heterogeneity in SLN techniques between studies, concerning the tracer and its detection, the injection site, the number of injections, and the surgical approach. Finally, we found a correlation between the number of patients included and the SLN sampling performances. Discussion. This meta-analysis estimated the SLN sampling performances in high risk endometrial cancer patients. Data from the literature show the feasibility, the safety, the limits, and the impact on surgical de-escalation of this technique. In conclusion, our study supports the hypothesis that SLN sampling could be a valuable technique to diagnose lymph node involvement for patients with high risk endometrial cancer in replacement of conventional lymphadenectomy. Consequently, randomized clinical trials are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.

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Prevention of Lymphatic Complications after Pelvic Laparoscopic Lymphadenectomy by Microporous Polysaccharide Absorbable Hemostat

Journal of Clinical Review & Case Reports ◽

10.33140/jcrc/03/10/00008 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (10) ◽

Keyword(s):

Endometrial Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Preliminary Investigation ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Pelvic Lymphadenectomy ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Control Group ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

The Impact

Introduction: One of the mandatory components of radical treatment of patients with endometrial cancer is the impact on regional lymph nodes. Nowadays, pelvic lymphadenectomy remains not only therapeutic, but also a diagnostic method in case of predicting the effectiveness of treatment. However, it is important to point out that there are a lot of complications which can occur after dissection of lymph nodes. Lymphorrhea and lymphocele are among the most common postoperative complications of pelvic lymphadenectomy, with a reported incidence of 1% to 50%. Except for the occurrence of undesirable symptoms it can increase the time of drainage standing, which contributes to the delay of further stages of combined treatment. The aim of the study: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intraoperative application of micro porous polysaccharide absorbable hemostat taking into account the functional outcomes to improve the long-term results of surgical treatment. Materials and methods: In order to solve the tasks, we analyzed the treatment of 12 patients with verified diagnosis of endometrial cancer. We divided the patients in 2 different groups. The first group included patients with polysaccharide absorbable hemostat application (6 patients). The second one (control group) included patients who were provided, according to traditional methods, without using polysaccharide application (6 patients). All patients underwent ultrasound examination on postoperative days 7, 14, 28. Groups were comparable in age, risk profile, and lymph node numbers. Postoperative drain loss and development of early and late lymphocyte were analyzed. Results: Group 1 showed a lower drainage volume and in this group there wasn’t any lymphocyte development. But the control group (group 2) showed 4 occasions of lymphocyte formation. Also two of them were symptomatic and were treated with percutaneous drainage (duration: 25 days in untreated patients versus 7 days in patients with absorbable hemostat using). Conclusion: In this preliminary investigation, the intraoperative application of micro porous polysaccharide absorbable hemostat on lymph node dissection areas significantly decreases total drain loss. In addition, it reduces frequency of lymphocyte formation, which contributes to the timely implementation of further stages of multidisciplinary approach in endometrial cancer’s treatment. A multicenter randomized clinical trial with a larger number of patients and longer follow-up is necessary toevaluate the overall outcomes of the combination of laparoscopic lymphadenectomy plus polysaccharide hemostat application.

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Impact of total lymph node count on staging and survival after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for rectal cancer.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2015.33.3_suppl.736 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 736-736

Author(s):

Matthew David Hall ◽

Timothy E. Schultheiss ◽

Jeffrey Y.C. Wong ◽

Yi-Jen Chen

Keyword(s):

Rectal Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation ◽

Chemoradiation Therapy ◽

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Lymph Nodes

736 Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) results in fewer retrieved lymph nodes at the time of surgery for rectal cancer. The extent of optimal regional nodal dissection is based on guidelines developed before neoadjuvant CRT was commonly used. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the number of dissected and positive lymph nodes on overall survival (OS) for rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant CRT. Methods: Treatment data were obtained by structured query on all patients with rectal adenocarcinoma (2000-2013) in the National Oncology Data Alliance, a proprietary database of merged tumor registries. Eligible patients were treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgery and had complete data on the number of positive and dissected lymph nodes and dates of treatment. The relationships between number of lymph nodes examined and OS were separately analyzed in patients with 0, exactly 1, or any number of positive nodes. Results: The median number of lymph nodes examined was 11 (interquartile range 6-16). In 4,581 evaluable patients, there was a significant improvement in OS with the examination of more lymph nodes. Number of positive lymph nodes, number of lymph nodes dissected, age, gender, grade, marital status, and race were significant predictors of OS on multivariate analysis. On subset analysis, patients with 0, exactly 1, and any number of positive nodes were found to have better OS with increasing number of lymph nodes dissected up to eight. Increasing overall mortality was observed in patients with 0, 1, 2-4, 5-7, and ≥8 positive lymph nodes. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a clear statistically significant difference in OS in patients divided into these five nodal groupings (p<0.0001). Conclusions: Patients with eight or more lymph nodes examined had the greatest improvement in OS in rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant CRT. This should be considered the threshold for an adequate lymph node sampling in this population. A five-tier nodal grouping was found to best forecast prognosis based on the number of positive lymph nodes identified.

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Prognosis of ovarian cancer in the United States during 1973 to 2015.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.e17072 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e17072-e17072

Author(s):

Jianfeng Zhang ◽

Yingying Lu ◽

Yuzi Zhang ◽

Zhenghua Zhang ◽

Shangli Cai

Keyword(s):

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Bone Metastases ◽

Lymph Node Metastases ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Distant Metastases ◽

The United States ◽

Node Metastases ◽

The Impact

e17072 Background: Ovarian cancer is the first leading cause of cancer death among gynecologic malignancies. Despite significant efforts to improve treatment strategies, the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer remains poor. Different diagnostic period and the occurrence of distant metastases may have different impacts on prognosis. In this study, we sought to describe the impact of distant metastases and different diagnostic period on prognosis of ovarian cancer. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer from year 1973 to year 2015. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the overall survival (OS) and Log-Rank test was used to compare the difference between groups. Results: Total 152729 patients with ovarian cancer were included. Median age was 62 years. The overall rates of distant lymph node metastases, bone, brain, liver and lung were 2.9%, 1.0%, 0.2%, 6.6% and 5.6%. Median overall survival (OS) was 30 months, 6 months, 9 months, 20 months and 20 months for pure distant lymph node metastases, brain metastases, bone metastases, lung metastases and liver metastases, respectively. Patients who were diagnosed from year 2010 to year 2015 had significantly improved OS compared with patients who were diagnosed from year 1973 to year 2009 (54 months vs. 47 months, P < 0.0001). Patients with pure distant lymph node metastases who were diagnosed from year 2010 to year 2015 also had significantly improved OS compared with patients who were diagnosed from year 1973 to year 2009 (30 months vs. 24 months, P = 0.0002). In addition, we also observed a trend of longer OS in patients with bone metastases diagnosed from year 2014 to year 2015 compared with patients who were diagnosed year 2010 to year 2013 (10 months vs. 7 months, P = 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this analysis indicated an improved prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer from 2010 to 2014, especially for patients with distant lymph node metastases. In addition, novel treatment strategies are needed for patients with distant visceral metastases.

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Cervical lymph node enlargement as the initial manifestation of rectal cancer

BMC Gastroenterology ◽

10.1186/s12876-021-01628-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tong-Hui Xie ◽

Peng Su ◽

Jian-Guo Hong ◽

Hui Zhang

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Rectal Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Cervical Lymph Node ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Initial Symptom ◽

Cervical Lymph Nodes ◽

Supraclavicular Lymph Nodes ◽

Lymph Node Enlargement

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer is a very common malignant tumor worldwide. The clinical manifestations of advanced colorectal cancer include the changes in bowel habits, hematochezia, diarrhea, local abdominal pain and other symptoms. However, the colorectal cancer with an initial symptom of cervical lymph node enlargement is extremely rare. In this article, we report a case of rectal cancer presenting with cervical lymph nodes enlargement as the initial symptom. Case presentation A 57-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for cervical lymph node enlargement which was accidentally detected during physical examination. Computed tomography scan revealed multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. Cervical ultrasound showed normal thyroid gland and multiple left supraclavicular lymph nodes enlargement. The patient underwent lymph nodes biopsy and pathologic results showed metastatic adenocarcinoma. The subsequent lower gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a mucosal bulge lesion located at rectus and biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent rectal cancer resection. She is alive with no evidence of recurrence or new tumors 2 years after surgery. Conclusions Cervical lymph node metastasis is a rare metastatic way in colorectal cancer. This is the first case of rectal cancer presenting with cervical lymph nodes metastases as the initial symptom. Surgical resection combined with postoperative chemotherapy improved long-term prognosis of the patient. This rare metastatic way of rectal cancer should be paid attention for clinicians.

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Assessment of Lymph Node Involvement with PET-CT in Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. A FRANCOGYN Group Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10040602 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 602

Author(s):

Antoine Tardieu ◽

Lobna Ouldamer ◽

François Margueritte ◽

Lauranne Rossard ◽

Aymeline Lacorre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lymph Node ◽

False Negative ◽

False Negative Rate ◽

Lymph Node Involvement ◽

Accuracy Rate ◽

Peritoneal Cancer ◽

Negative Rate ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Node Involvement

The objective of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) for the assessment of lymph node involvement in advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tubal or peritoneal cancer (EOC). This was a retrospective, bicentric study. We included all patients over 18 years of age with a histological diagnosis of advanced EOC who had undergone PET-CT at the time of diagnosis or prior to cytoreduction surgery with pelvic or para-aortic lymphadenectomy. We included 145 patients with primary advanced EOC. The performance of PET-CT was calculated from the data of 63 patients. The sensitivity of PET-CT for preoperative lymph node evaluation was 26.7%, specificity was 90.9%, PPV was 72.7%, and NPV was 57.7%. The accuracy rate was 60.3%, and the false-negative rate was 34.9%. In the case of primary cytoreduction (n = 16), the sensitivity of PET-CT was 50%, specificity was 87.5%, PPV was 80%, and NPV was 63.6%. The accuracy rate was 68.8%, and the false negative rate was 25%. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 47), the sensitivity of PET-CT was 18.2%, specificity was 92%, PPV was 66.7%, and NPV was 56.1%. The accuracy rate was 57.5%, and the false negative rate was 38.3%. Due to its high specificity, the performance of a preoperative PET-CT scan could contribute to the de-escalation and reduction of lymphadenectomy in the surgical management of advanced EOC in a significant number of patients free of lymph node metastases.

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Risk of nodal disease in patients with MRI-detected extramural vascular invasion in rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Tumori Journal ◽

10.1177/0300891620975867 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 030089162097586

Author(s):

Pratik Tripathi ◽

Zhen Li ◽

Yaqi Shen ◽

Xuemei Hu ◽

Daoyu Hu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Rectal Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Vascular Invasion ◽

Literature Search ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Nodal Disease ◽

The Impact

Background: The impact of magnetic resonance imaging–detected extramural vascular invasion (mrEMVI) in distant metastasis is well known but its correlation with prevalence of lymph node metastasis is less studied. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the prevalence of nodal disease in mrEMVI–positive and negative cases in rectal cancer. Methods: Following guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, a systematic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBase was carried out to identify relevant studies published up to May 2019. Results: Our literature search generated 10 studies (863 and 1212 mrEMVI–positive and negative patients, respectively). The two groups (mrEMVI–positive and negative) were significantly different in terms of nodal disease status (odds ratio [OR] 3.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–4.67; p < 0.001). The prevalence of nodal disease was 75.90% vs 52.56% in the positive mrEMVI vs negative mrEMVI group, respectively ( p < 0.001). The prevalence of positive lymph node in positive mrEMVI patients treated with neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT/CRT) (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.65–3.69; p < 0.001) was less compared with the patients who underwent surgery alone (OR 6.25; 95% CI 3.74–10.44; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The probability of positive lymph nodes in cases of positive mrEMVI is distinctly greater compared with negative cases in rectal cancer. Positive mrEMVI indicates risk of nodal disease prevalence increased by threefold in rectal cancer.

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