Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42540010›Full record

ArticleJournal of the anus, rectum and colon2026

Prognostic and Predictive Value of Lymph Node Ratio in Stage III Colon Cancer in the Era of Molecular Biomarkers.

Zhenxin Rao, Kozo Kataoka, Ayako Imada, Kazuma Ito, Yuko Fukumoto, Kei Kimura, Jihyung Song, Yuki Horio, Ryuichi Kuwahara, Motoi Uchino and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the anus, rectum and colon, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Zhenxin RaoDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Kozo KataokaDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Ayako ImadaDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Kazuma ItoDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Yuko FukumotoDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Kei KimuraDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Jihyung SongDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Yuki HorioDivision of inflammatory bowel disease surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Ryuichi KuwaharaDivision of inflammatory bowel disease surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Motoi UchinoDivision of inflammatory bowel disease surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
Wim CeelenDepartment of GI Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, and Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Masataka IkedaDivision of lower GI surgery, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The prognostic and predictive value of the lymph node ratio (LNR; metastatic/harvested nodes) in stage III colon cancer (CC) remains unclear, particularly in combination with molecular profiles such as RAS, BRAF, and microsatellite instability (MSI) status. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed stage III CC patients who underwent curative resection with D3 lymph node dissection (2013-2023). Optimal LNR cutoffs were determined using maximally selected rank statistics. Cox models assessed the prognostic impact of LNR adjusted for clinicopathological and molecular factors. The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) on recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated by LNR subgroup. Results: Among 361 patients, optimal LNR cutoffs for RFS and OS were 0.16 and 0.21, respectively. Based on the cutoffs of 0.2, the RFS and OS were longer in patients with low LNR than those with high LNR. Multivariate analysis identified RAS and BRAF mutation, venous invasion, LNR and ACT as independent factors for RFS, while RAS mutation, lymphatic invasion, ACT and LNR were significant for OS. In patients with low LNR (≤0.2), ACT improved RFS (HR 0.57 (95% CI 0.33-0.99)) and OS (HR 0.48 (95% CI 0.28-0.85)) and similar tendency was observed in those with high LNR (>0.2) (RFS: HR 0.56 (95% CI: 0.29-1.09), OS: HR 0.51 (95%CI 0.23-1.13)). Conclusion: After adjustment for multiple biomarkers, LNR remained an independent predictor of OS in stage III CC. ACT was associated with improved survival regardless of LNR, with a consistent trend observed even in patients with high LNR.

Indexed as

BRAFcolon cancerlymph node ratiomicrosatellite instabilityRAS

Identifiers

PMID42540010
PMCPMC13424869

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.