Factors Affecting Lymph Node Yield from Patients Undergoing Colectomy for Cancer

Overview

Journal Int J Colorectal Dis

Specialties Gastroenterology
General Surgery

Date 2011 May 17

PMID 21573900

Citations 15

Authors

Zubin M Bamboat

Danielle Deperalta

Abdulmetin Dursun

David L Berger

Liliana Bordeianou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Lymph node (LN) yield is a critical component of colon cancer staging and is often a surrogate for quality assessment in surgery. We investigated the impact of pathologists' training on LN harvest.

Methods: This is a retrospective review on 137 patients undergoing elective colectomy for adenocarcinoma at a single institution from 2008 to 2009. We studied surgeon-, patient- and pathologist-derived factors, and identified independent variables affecting LN yield using logistic regression.

Results: LN yield was similar between open and laparoscopic resections (21 versus 23, p = 0.54). Similarly, nodal counts were independent of tumor location (p = 0.08) and no difference was noted between colorectal and general surgeons (24 versus 21, p = 0.31). Strikingly, the number of LNs reported by PGY-1 pathology residents was significantly higher than those with two or more years of training (24 versus 19, p = 0.02). On logistic regression, only the reporting pathologists' year in training remained a significant predictor of the number of nodes reported (OR = 5.28, p = 0.0001).

Conclusions: LN retrieval in patients with colon cancer is inversely related to the interpreting pathologists' level of training.

Citing Articles

Lymph node ratio is a more robust predictor of overall survival than N stage in stage III colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Beirat A, Amarin J, Suradi H, Qwaider Y, Muhanna A, Maraqa B Diagn Pathol. 2024; 19(1):44.

PMID: 38419109 PMC: 10900724. DOI: 10.1186/s13000-024-01449-6.

Lymph Node Yield and Ratio in Selective and Modified Radical Neck Dissection in Head and Neck Cancer-Impact on Oncological Outcome.

Sheppard S, Frech L, Giger R, Nisa L Cancers (Basel). 2021; 13(9).

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The adequacy of lymph node clearance in colon cancer surgery performed in a non-specialist centre; implications for practice.

Higgins P, Nemeth T, Bennani F, Khan W, Khan I, Waldron R Ir J Med Sci. 2019; 189(1):75-81.

PMID: 31218518 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-019-02044-1.

The prognostic significance of lymph node size in node-positive colon cancer.

Schrembs P, Martin B, Anthuber M, Schenkirsch G, Markl B PLoS One. 2018; 13(8):e0201072.

PMID: 30096142 PMC: 6086396. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201072.

Lymph node evaluation for colon cancer in routine clinical practice: a population-based study.

Del Paggio J, Nanji S, Wei X, MacDonald P, Booth C Curr Oncol. 2017; 24(1):e35-e43.

PMID: 28270730 PMC: 5330636. DOI: 10.3747/co.24.3210.

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