Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33454816›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of colorectal disease2021

Evaluation of the prognostic relevance of the recommended minimum number of lymph nodes in colorectal cancer-a propensity score analysis.

Michaela Ramser, Leonard A Lobbes, Rene Warschkow, Carsten T Viehl, Johannes C Lauscher, Raoul A Droeser, Christoph Kettelhack, Markus Zuber, Benjamin Weixler

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of colorectal disease, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Michaela Ramser *Clarunis Visceral Surgery Center, St. Clara Hospital & University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Leonard A Lobbes *Department of General, Visceral, and Vascular Surgery, Charité University Hospital, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
Rene WarschkowDepartment of Surgery, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Carsten T ViehlDepartment of Surgery, Spitalzentrum Biel/Bienne, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.
Johannes C LauscherDepartment of General, Visceral, and Vascular Surgery, Charité University Hospital, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
Raoul A DroeserClarunis Visceral Surgery Center, St. Clara Hospital & University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Christoph KettelhackClarunis Visceral Surgery Center, St. Clara Hospital & University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Markus ZuberClarunis Visceral Surgery Center, St. Clara Hospital & University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Benjamin WeixlerDepartment of General, Visceral, and Vascular Surgery, Charité University Hospital, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. benjamin.weixler@charite.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3652-4792
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin · DEKantonsschule Olten · CHFranklin University · USHeidelberg University · DESpitalzentrum Centre hospitalier Biel- Bienne · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeNodal status in colorectal cancer (CRC) is an important prognostic factor, and adequate lymph node (LN) staging is crucial. Whether the number of resected and analysed LN has a direct impact on overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) is much discussed. Guidelines request a minimum number of 12 LN to be analysed. Whether that threshold marks a prognostic relevant cut-off remains unknown.

methodsPatients operated for stage I-III CRC were identified from a prospectively maintained database. The impact of the number of analysed LN on OS, CSS and DFS was assessed using Cox regression and propensity score analysis.

resultsOf the 687 patients, 81.8% had ≥ 12 LN resected and analysed. Median LN yield was 17.0 (IQR 13.0-23.0). Resection and analysis of ≥ 12 LN was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56-0.95, p = 0.033), CSS (HR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.31-0.85, p = 0.030) and DFS (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.95, p = 0.030) in multivariate Cox analysis. After adjusting for biasing factors with propensity score matching, resection of ≥ 12 LN was significantly associated with improved OS (HR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43-0.81; p = 0.002), CSS (HR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.20-0.60; p < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.41-0.74; p < 0.001) compared to patients with < 12 LN.

conclusionEliminating biasing factors by a propensity score matching analysis underlines the prognostic importance of the number of analysed LN. The set threshold marks the minimum number of required LN but nevertheless represents a cut-off regarding outcome in stage I-III CRC. This analysis therefore highlights the significance and importance of adherence to surgical oncological standards.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsLymph NodesHumansNeoplasm StagingPrognosisPropensity ScoreRetrospective StudiesColorectal cancerDisease-free survivalLymph nodesOverall survivalPropensity score analysis

Identifiers

PMID33454816
PMCPMC7952332
OpenAlexW3124847570

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.