Number of negative lymph nodes can predict survival after postmastectomy radiotherapy according to different breast cancer subtypes

Negative Lymph Node Is an Independent Prognostic Factor for Stage III Gastric Cancer Patients After Curative Gastrectomy: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Negative lymph node (NLN)' s prognostic impact on stage III gastric cancer (GC) patients after curative gastrectomy has not been rigorously studied. We aimed to explore the relationship between NLNs count and outcomes of stage III GC patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated stage III gastric cancer cases between 2008 and 2018 from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Variables were compared by chi2 test. Kaplan-Meier methods and COX proportional hazard models were used to ascertain independent prognostic factors. Survival differences among the subgroups were analyzed to assess the effects of NLN count on overall survival (OS) in stage III GC patients.

RESULTS

2373 patients with curative gastrectomy for stage III GC were identified. Univariate analysis demonstrated that NLNs count >14 was associated better 5-year OS (43.7% VS 23.1%, P< .001) comparing with the NLNs count ≤ 14. Subgroup analysis showed that the NLNs count could predict survival in both node-negative and node-positive patients. Multivariate analysis revealed NLNs count is an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONS

The NLNs count is an independent prognostic factor for survival in stage III gastric cancer patients after curative gastrectomy and should be recommended for clinical applications.

Negative Lymph Node Count Predicts Survival of Resected Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore the association between the negative lymph node (NLN) count and survival, as well as compare the prognostic value of the positive lymph node (PLN) count, lymph node ratio (the PLN count/total lymph nodes examined, LNR), and NLN count in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

We identified patients diagnosed with NSCLC between 2005 and 2011 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Outcomes of interest were lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS). Cases were divided into several groups based on the PLN count, NLN count, and LNR. The prognostic significance of the PLN count, NLN count, and LNR models was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox regression model.

RESULTS

39,959 patients with surgical resection for NSCLC were identified. Univariate analysis demonstrated that a greater count of NLNs was associated with better LCSS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the NLN count could predict survival in both node-negative and node-positive patients. Multivariable analysis revealed that the NLN count was an independent prognostic factor for LCSS and OS.

CONCLUSION

The NLN count is an independent prognostic factor of OS and LCSS in patients with NSCLC, as well as the PLN count and LNR. The prognostic value of the PLN count, NLN count, and LNR shows no difference.

Better survival in PMRT of female breast cancer patients with >5 negative lymph nodes: A population-based study

Many studies have confirmed the role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for breast cancer patients with at least 4 lymph nodes invasion in the postoperative therapy. Recently, the number of negative lymph nodes (NLNs) has been increasingly paid attention to and recognized as a prognostic indicator in different kinds of caners. Therefore, it is very necessary to study the association between the number of NLNs and the prognosis of PMRT in breast cancer patients. In our study, we used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) population-based data and identified 16,686 breast cancer patients to explore their correlation. The ROC curve and the log-rank χ test were applied to determine the appropriate cutoff point of the number of NLNs and 5 was selected as the cutoff point. Furthermore, the cutoff point 5 was validated as an independent prognostic factor affecting cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer patients, as confirmed by both univariate and multivariate analysis (P < 0.001). In addition, subgroup analysis showed that the number of NLNs >5 can be a prognostic indicator in patients with PMRT according to different clinical variables (all, P < 0.001). Importantly, our results showed that PMRT obviously improved CSS and OS in patients regardless of the number of NLNs (P < 0.001). In conclusion, our study showed the number of NLNs is an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer patients with PMRT, and those who have higher number of NLNs have an increased CSS and OS.