A prognostic score system with lymph node ratio in stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy

Prognostic Value of Lymph Node Ratio (LNR) in Patients with Postoperative N2 Feature in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Introduction: One of the most important prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a condition with a high mortality rate, is the presence of mediastinal lymph node metastases alongside distant metastases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of selected parameters of N2 stage NSCLC with a special focus on lymph node ratio (LNR). Material: The study included 163 patients (61 women and 102 men) operated on due to NSCLC, postoperatively diagnosed as stage N2. The age of the patients ranged from 38 to 82 years (mean age: 62.4 years). The effects of the following factors on clinical data and survival rate were assessed: N1 stage, total number of all metastatic nodes, LNR and LNR N2 ratios, and the presence of skip, single- or multistation metastases. Results: Univariate analysis showed patient survival to be correlated with LNR and LNR N2 ratios, single/multistation metastases, and the number of nodes involved in metastasis. A multivariate model based on patient clinical data found nicotine dependence (p = 0.013), LNR > 0.26 (p = 0.004), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) value > 3 (p = 0.014) to be independent adverse prognostic factors in this group. Conclusions: LNR ratio is a significant cancer disease-derived independent prognostic factor for patients with postoperative N2 stage NSCLC. In addition, smoking and comorbidities also appear to have prognostic value.

Real world practice of postoperative radiotherapy for patients with completely resected pIIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer: a national survey of radiation oncologists in China

BACKGROUND

Results from Lung ART and PORT-C trials suggest that postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) cannot routinely be recommended as standard treatment in completely resected pIIIA-N2 NSCLC patients, but their effects on the real-world practice of PORT in China remain unclear.

METHODS

A national cross-section survey was conducted by using an online survey service. Participants were voluntarily recruited using a river sampling strategy. A link to the survey was posted on websites of radiation oncologist associations and tweets from public WeChat accounts. The survey collected the real names of participants to ensure that they were board-certified radiation oncologists.

RESULTS

A total of 484 radiation oncologists were included with a median age of 40 years (IQR, 35-47). A total of 377 (77.9%) participants were male, and 282 (58.1%) had more than 10 years of clinical experience practicing thoracic radiotherapy. Before Lung ART and PORT-C trials were published, 313 (64.7%) respondents recommended PORT, 11 (2.3%) did not recommend it, and 160 (33.1%) reported that they made decisions based on risk factors. After the presentation of two trials, only 42 (8.7%) did not recommend PORT, while 108 (22.3%) recommended it, and 334 (69.0%) made decisions based on risk factors. The five most commonly considered risk factors among these 334 respondents were as follows: nodal extracapsular extension, the highest lymph node (LN) station involved, the number of dissected mediastinal LN stations, the number of positive mediastinal LN stations, and surgical approaches. In addition, the majority of all 484 respondents recommended a total dose of 50 Gy, lung stump + ipsilateral hilus + regions containing positive LNs as the targeted region, lung V20 < 25%, and heart V30 < 40% as dose constraints for PORT.

CONCLUSION

Most Chinese radiation oncologists recommended PORT for completely resected IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients based on risk factors, especially status of LN station.

The Value of Radiotherapy in Patients With Resectable Stage IIIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in the Era of Individualized Treatment: A Population-Based Analysis

INTRODUCTION

No consensus has been achieved on the benefit of radiotherapy for resected stage IIIA NSCLC patients. The division of stage IIIA has changed significantly in 2017. This study aims to explore the effects of radiotherapy on the survival of patients with resectable stage IIIA NSCLC in the new era.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients diagnosed with NSCLC between 2010 and 2018 were identified in the 8th edition TNM classification from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. A nomogram was developed by integrating all independent predictors for lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS). The Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and subgroup analysis were applied to mitigate potential bias. Survival analyses were conducted using the Kaplan Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

A total of 2632 stage IIIA NSCLC patients were enrolled. The C-index of the nomogram for the prediction of LCSS was 0.636 (95% CI, 0.616-0.656). In the group of patients with N2 stage who featured more than 5 positive regional lymph nodes, compared with non-PORT, PORT did prolong postoperative survival time (50 vs. 31 months; P= .005). N2 patients with visceral pleural invasion (VPI), older (age >65), or had a larger tumor (size >3 cm) could also benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Treatment protocol for stage IIIA NSCLC patients should be individualized. Based on our findings, N2 patients with more than 5 positive regional lymph nodes, VPI, larger tumor size (greater than 3 cm), and older (age above 65) could benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy. Further well-designed randomized trials are warranted.

A Nomogram to Predict Long-Term Survival Outcomes of Patients Who Undergo Pneumonectomy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With Stage I-IIIB

Background: In this study, we aim to establish a nomogram to predict the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with stage I-IIIB disease after pneumonectomy.

Methods: Patients selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER, N = 2,373) database were divided into two cohorts, namely a training cohort (SEER-T, N = 1,196) and an internal validation cohort (SEER-V, N = 1,177). Two cohorts were dichotomized into low- and high-risk subgroups by the optimal risk prognostic score (PS). The model was validated by indices of concordance (C-index) and calibration plots. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank tests were used to compare survival curves between the groups. The primary observational endpoint was cancer-specific survival (CSS).

Results: The nomogram comprised six factors as independent prognostic indictors; it significantly distinguished between low- and high-risk groups (all P < 0.05). The unadjusted 5-year CSS rates of high-risk and low-risk groups were 33 and 60% (SEER-T), 34 and 55% (SEER-V), respectively; the C-index of this nomogram in predicting CSS was higher than that in the 8th TNM staging system (SEER-T, 0.629 vs. 0.584, P < 0.001; SEER-V, 0.609 vs. 0.576, P < 0.001). In addition, the PS might be a significant negative indictor on CSS of patients with white patients [unadjusted hazard ration (HR) 1.008, P < 0.001], black patients (unadjusted HR 1.007, P < 0.001), and Asian or Pacific Islander (unadjusted HR 1.008, P = 0.008). In cases with squamous cell carcinoma (unadjusted HR 1.008, P < 0.001) or adenocarcinoma (unadjusted HR 1.008, P < 0.001), PS also might be a significant risk factor.

Conclusions: For post-pneumonectomy NSCLC patients, the nomogram may predict their survival with acceptable accuracy and further distinguish high-risk patients from low-risk patients.

Prognostic index for estimating the survival benefit of postoperative radiotherapy in pathologic N2 non-small cell lung cancer: A real-world validation study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in patients with resected pathologic N2 (pN2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with different locoregional recurrence (LRR) risks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The primary cohort and validation cohort were retrieved from two independent medical centres. Data for all consecutive patients with completely resected pathologic stage T1-3N2M0 NSCLC were analysed. Patients without PORT in the primary cohort were identified as a training set. Significant prognostic factors for LRR were identified by the Fine-Gray model to develop a prognostic index (PI) in the training set.

RESULTS

The primary cohort consisted of 357 patients who met the eligibility criteria (training set, 287 patients without PORT). The external validation cohort consisted of 1044 patients who met the eligibility criteria (validation set, 711 patients without PORT). Heavy cigarette smoking history, clinical N2 status (cN2), and the number of positive lymph nodes >4 were identified as independent risk factors. The PI was computed as follows: PI＝0.8*smoking history＋0.5*cN2＋0.7*the number of involved lymph nodes (reference level was assigned the value 1 and risk level the value 2). In the low-risk group (PI score< = 3), PORT showed a trend towards decreased LRR rates but not significantly improved overall survival (OS). In the high-risk group (PI score>3), PORT significantly reduced the risk of LRR and improved OS.

CONCLUSIONS

We constructed and validated a PI to predict individually the effect of PORT in patients with completely resected pN2 NSCLC. Patients with a higher PI score can benefit from PORT in terms of OS.

Micropapillary pattern of stage IIIA-N2 lung adenocarcinoma is a prognostic factor after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy

Aim: This study aims to investigate the significance of a micropapillary pattern in stage IIIA-N₂ lung adenocarcinoma after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Patients & methods: A total of 257 patients with stage IIIA-N₂ lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled in this study. Patients were classified into three groups based on the proportion of micropapillary components: micropapillary negative, micropapillary minor component and micropapillary predominant component. Results: The micropapillary predominant group had the shortest median disease-free survival and overall survival times compared with the micropapillary minor component and micropapillary negative groups (median overall survival time: 54 months vs 64 months vs not reached; p = 0.004). Furthermore, the micropapillary pattern was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The micropapillary pattern of IIIA-N₂ lung adenocarcinoma is related to worse prognosis.

Extended resections and other special cases in lung cancer surgery: Real-world population-based outcomes

Background

Lung cancer invading outside a lobe centrally or peripherally, or presenting with synchronous or metachronous tumors, requires a special approach. Here, we aimed to evaluate the rate and outcomes of surgery of these patients in a medium‐volume practice using real‐world, population‐based data.

Methods

All patients (n = 269) on whom lung cancer surgery was performed in Central Finland and Ostrobothnia between January 2013 and December 2019 were included. A total of 40 patients with sleeve (n = 18) or other extended resections (n = 9), multifocal diseases (n = 14), and other operated synchronous cancers (n = 3) required an extended or otherwise special surgical approach (extended group). Short‐ and long‐term outcomes were compared to high‐risk (n = 72) and normal patient groups (n = 157).

Results

The rate of extended resection was 14.9%. The rates of PET‐CT (95%), invasive staging (35%), and brain imaging (42.5%) were highest in extended group compared to other groups. Extended group had larger and higher rate of stage III tumors than high‐risk and normal groups. All extended group patients underwent anatomic lung resection with better lymph node yield than the other two groups, with a neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant treatment rate of 70.0%. Major complications occurred in 7.5% in the extended group, 19.4% in the high‐risk group, and 6.4% in the normal group; at one year, alive and living at home rates were 88.2%, 83.3%, and 97.8%, and overall five‐year survival rates 75.6%, 62.4%, and 63.9% (P = 0.287), respectively.

Conclusions

After guideline‐based evaluation, a significant rate of these special cases can be resected with a low complication rate and good long‐term survival in real‐world practice.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

Extended resections for lung cancer include tumors spreading outside the lung

The rate of extended resection was 14.9% in a population‐based setting

Major complications occurred in 7.5% and five‐year survival was 75.6%

What this study adds

Complication rate and long‐term outcome were similar compared to normal patients

Guideline‐based evaluation results with excellent outcome in real‐world practice

The Positive Lymph Node Ratio Predicts Survival in T1-4N1-3M0 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Nomogram Using the SEER Database

Background: An increasing number of studies have shown that the positive lymph node ratio (pLNR) can be used to evaluate the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. To determine the predictive value of the pLNR, we collected data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and performed a retrospective analysis. Methods: We collected survival and clinical information on patients with T_1-4N_1-3M₀ NSCLC diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 from the SEER database and screened them according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. X-tile software was used to obtain the best cut-off value for the pLNR. Then, we randomly divided patients into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7:3. Pearson's correlation coefficient, tolerance and the variance inflation factor (VIF) were used to detect collinearity between variables. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify significant prognostic factors, and nomograms was constructed to visualize the results. The concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the predictive ability of the nomogram. We divided the patient scores into four groups according to the interquartile interval and constructed a survival curve using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: A total of 6,245 patients were initially enrolled. The best cut-off value for the pLNR was determined to be 0.55. The nomogram contained 13 prognostic factors, including the pLNR. The pLNR was identified as an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). The C-index was 0.703 (95% CI, 0.695-0.711) in the training set and 0.711 (95% CI, 0.699-0.723) in the validation set. The calibration curves and DCA also indicated the good predictability of the nomogram. Risk stratification revealed a statistically significant difference among the four groups of patients divided according to quartiles of risk score. Conclusion: The nomogram containing the pLNR can accurately predict survival in patients with T_1-4N_1-3M₀ NSCLC.

Prognostic value of log odds of positive lymph nodes in node-positive lung squamous cell carcinoma patients after surgery: a SEER population-based study

Background

Log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) is a novel and promising ratio-based lymph node (LN) staging system in many malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of LODDS, and comprehensively compare the prognostic predictive performance of LODDS with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) N classification, number of positive lymph node (NPLN), and lymph node ratio (LNR) among node-positive lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients after surgery.

Methods

We identified 2,561 patients with N1/N2 stage SCC diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. X-tile analysis was used to calculate the optimal cut-off value for each staging system. Univariable and Multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to assess the association of cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) with N, NPLN, LNR, and LODDS, separately, and integrally. Moreover, linear trend χ² score, likelihood ratio (LR) test, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Harrell concordance index (C-index) were adopted as criteria for assessing the predictive ability of each model.

Results

The optimal cut-off values for NPLN, LNR, and LODDS were 3, 0.28, and −0.37, respectively. N, NPLN, LNR, and LODDS were identified as independent prognostic predictors for CSS and OS in patients with SCC when each of them was incorporated into multivariable Cox model separately. Additionally, LODDS had the higher linear trend χ² score, higher LR χ² test score, lower AIC, and higher C-index compared to the other three systems. Moreover, a combination of N, NPLN, and LODDS was superior to any staging system alone for predicting prognosis.

Conclusions

LODDS showed better predictive performance than N, NPLN, and LNR among patients with node-positive SCC after surgery. A combination of LODDS and the current AJCC TNM classification has the potential for becoming a better staging method to more precisely predicting prognosis.