Impact of the number of resected and involved lymph nodes on the outcome in patients with stage II non-small cell lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study was to evaluate if factors associated with dissected lymph nodes affect the outcome of completely resected stage II (T1-2N1) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 121 patients with complete resection of stage II NSCLC in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer center from January 1998 to December 2004 were reviewed retrospectively and the effect of factors of dissected lymph nodes on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of NSCLC was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The univariate analysis demonstrated that the total number of removed lymph nodes, the number of involved N1 lymph nodes, the ratio of involved N1 lymph nodes and the total number of removed N2 lymph nodes were significant prognostic factors for OS. In the multivariate analysis, the total number of removed lymph nodes and the number of involved N1 lymph nodes were independent prognostic factors for OS. In both of univariate and multivariate analyses, tumor size, the total number of removed lymph nodes and the number of involved N1 lymph nodes were independent prognostic factors for DFS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For patients with completely resectable stage II NSCLC, 10 or more lymph nodes should be removed at the surgical resection. Total number of removed lymph nodes >or= 10 is a favorable prognostic factor and involved N1 >or= 3 is an adverse one.</p>