Detailed stratification of TNM stage III rectal cancer based on the presence/absence of extracapsular invasion of the metastatic lymph nodes

MRI-detected extranodal extension as a marker of prostate cancer aggressiveness

OBJECTIVE

Extranodal extension (ENE) is a histological marker of aggressiveness for various cancers. We evaluated if clinical ENE, detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging, can also serve as a biological marker of Prostate Cancer (PCa) aggressiveness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective, single-center study analyzed patients diagnosed with PCa and had MRI on a 3-T scanner from January 2013 to December 2017. After exclusions, 461 patients were included and divided into: Group 1, no lymph node involvement (LNI), Group 2 (LNI without ENE), and Group 3 (LNI and ENE). Two experienced radiologists assessed the MRI scans for primary lesion characteristics, LNI and ENE. Reproducibility assessment was calculated for ENE and PI-RADS. Clinical outcomes, including Overall Survival (OS), Specific Survival Rate (SSR), and Progression-Free Survival (PFS), were analyzed.

RESULTS

Group 1 included 410 patients, Group 2, 32 patients, and Group 3, 19 patients. The prevalence of ENE was 4.1%. Significant differences between groups were observed for age, PSA, dPSA, ISUP scores, clinical risk stratification, and staging (all p < 0.01). The Kappa coefficient for ENE was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.56-0.90), and 0.48 (0.14-1.0) for PI-RADS. Cox proportional hazards model showed PSA (HR: 1.009; 95% CI = 1.003-1.015, p < 0.01) and ENE (HR: 8.50; 1.76-40.98, p < 0.01) were associated with SSR, and both ENE (HR: 8.18; 2.34-28.58, p < 0.01) and LNI (HR: 5.99, 1.97-18.17, p < 0.01) were linked to poor PFS.

CONCLUSION

MRI-detected ENE, despite low prevalence, is a predictor of SSR and PFS in PCa. These findings support ENE as an independent prognostic marker. Further prospective, multi-institutional studies are required to validate these results.

KEY POINTS

Question Pathological extranodal extension (pENE) has been described as a marker of worrisome prognosis in prostate cancer (PCa), but clinical ENE has not been evaluated as a marker of prognosis in PCa. Findings MRI-detected clinical ENE, had a low prevalence in our cohort (4.1%), but it was a predictor of specific survival rate and progression-free survival. Clinical relevance MRI-detected clinical ENE, a reproducible imaging feature, may serve as a non-invasive biomarker for aggressive prostate cancer. It correlates with poorer progression-free survival and specific survival rates, offering valuable prognostic insights for patient management.

Tumour deposits are associated with worse survival than extranodal extension; a network meta-analysis on tumour nodules in colorectal cancer

Lymph node metastases (LNM) play a central role in the tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) classification for colorectal cancer (CRC), with extranodal extension (ENE) as an adverse feature. ENE has never been directly compared to tumour deposits (TD). The aim of this study was to perform an up-to-date systematic review, including a network meta-analysis to compare their prognostic value. A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane databases to identify all prognostic studies on ENE and TD. A total of 20 studies were included, with 7719 cases. The primary outcome was 5-year disease-free survival (DFS); secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Frequentist paired and network meta-analyses were performed using the netmeta package in R. For univariable DFS analysis, LNM + TD+ cases had a significantly worse outcome compared with LNM + ENE+ cases [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06-1.53], which was no longer significant for multivariable DFS analysis (HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.87-1.46). All OS and multivariable DSS analyses showed a significantly worse outcome for LNM + TD+ cases compared with LNM + ENE cases. For all outcomes, both LNM + TD+ and LNM + ENE+ had a significantly increased hazard compared with LNM+ cases. This study shows that there is a trend towards worse outcome for LNM + TD+ than LNM + ENE+, not statistically significant in multivariable DFS analysis. Both groups perform significantly worse than cases with LNM only. To improve the accuracy of CRC staging, we recommend to put more emphasis on both ENE and TD in the TNM classification, with the most prominent role for TD.

Clinical significance of metastatic tumor deposit foci in rectal cancer in the lateral pelvic lymph node area

BACKGROUND

Although previous studies have demonstrated that tumor deposits (TDs) are associated with worse prognosis in colon cancer, their clinical significance in rectal cancer has not been fully elucidated, especially in the lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) area. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of TDs, focusing on the number of metastatic foci, including lymph node metastases (LNMs) and TDs, in the LPLN area.

METHODS

This retrospective study involved 226 consecutive patients with cStage II/III low rectal cancer who underwent LPLN dissection. Metastatic foci, including LNM and TD, in the LPLN area were defined as lateral pelvic metastases (LP-M) and were evaluated according to LP-M status: presence (absence vs. presence), histopathological classification (LNM vs. TD), and number (one to three vs. four or more). We evaluated the relapse-free survival of each model and compared them using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Harrell's concordance index (c-index).

RESULTS

Forty-nine of 226 patients (22%) had LP-M, and 15 patients (7%) had TDs. The median number of LP-M per patient was one (range, 1-9). The best risk stratification power was observed for number (AIC, 758; c-index, 0.668) compared with presence (AIC, 759; c-index, 0.665) and histopathological classification (AIC, 761; c-index, 0.664). The number of LP-M was an independent prognostic factor for both relapse-free and overall survival, and was significantly associated with cumulative local recurrence.

CONCLUSION

The number of metastatic foci, including LNMs and TDs, in the LPLN area is useful for risk stratification of patients with low rectal cancer.

Prevalence of Metastatic Lateral Lymph Nodes in Asian Patients with Lateral Lymph Node Dissection for Rectal Cancer: A Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Rectal cancers occupy the eighth position worldwide for new cases and deaths for both men and women. These cancers have a high tendency to form metastases in the mesorectum but also in the lateral lymph nodes. The therapeutic approach for the involved lateral lymph nodes remains controversial.

OBJECTIVE

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of metastatic lateral lymph nodes in patients with lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for rectal cancer, which seems to be a fundamental and necessary criterion to discuss any possible indications for LLND.

METHODS

Data sources-study selection-data extraction and synthesis-main outcome and measures. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and COCHRANE from November 1, 2018, to November 19, 2018, for studies reporting the presence of metastatic lateral lymph nodes (iliac, obturator and middle sacral nodes) among patients undergoing rectal surgery with LLND. Pooled prevalence values were obtained by random effects models, and the robustness was tested by leave-one-out sensitivity analyses. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q-test, quantified based on the I2 value and explored by subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

Our final analysis included 31 studies from Asian countries, comprising 7599 patients. The pooled prevalence of metastatic lateral lymph nodes was 17.3% (95% CI: 14.6-20.5). The inter-study variability (heterogeneity) was high (I2 = 89%). The pooled prevalence was, however, robust and varied between 16.6% and 17.9% according to leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. The pooled prevalence of metastatic lymph nodes was not significantly different when pooling only studies including patients who received neoadjuvant treatment or those without neoadjuvant treatment (p = 0.44). Meta-regression showed that the pooled prevalence was associated with the sample size of studies (p < 0.05), as the prevalence decreased when the sample size increased.

CONCLUSION

The pooled prevalence of metastatic lateral lymph nodes was 17.3% among patients who underwent rectal surgery with LLND in Asian countries. Further studies are necessary to determine whether this finding could impact the therapeutic strategy (total mesorectal excision with LLND versus total mesorectal excision with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy).

Prognostic Impact of Extranodal Extension in Rectal Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Resection After Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Extranodal extension (ENE) of nodal metastasis has emerged as an important prognostic factor in many malignancies, including rectal cancer. However, its significance in patients with rectal cancer receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) has not been extensively investigated. We therefore assessed ENE and its prognostic impact in a large series of consecutive rectal cancer patients with lymph node metastasis after PCRT and curative resection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 2000 and December 2014, a total of 1925 patients with rectal cancer underwent surgical resection after PCRT. Medical records of 469 patients with pathologic node positivity were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the 469 patients, 118 (25.2%) presented with ENE. ENE was observed more frequently in those with advanced tumor stage (higher ypT, ypN, and ypStage), lymphovascular invasion, and perineural invasion. Five-year disease-free survival rate was lower in patients with ENE-positive tumors than those with ENE-negative tumors (36.1% vs. 52.3%, P = .003). Similarly, 5-year overall survival rate was lower in patients with ENE-positive tumors than those with ENE-negative tumors (60.2% vs. 70.6%, P < .001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of ENE was an independent poor prognostic factor for disease-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.412; 95% confidence interval, 1.074-1.857; P = .013) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.531; 95% confidence interval 1.149-2.039; P = .004).

CONCLUSION

The presence of ENE in patients with rectal cancer undergoing PCRT is a negative prognostic factor, reflecting poor survival outcome.

Prognostic Impact of Extracapsular Lymph Node Invasion on Survival in Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The extracapsular tumor extension (ECE) of nodal metastasis is an important prognostic factor in different types of malignancies. However, there is a lack of recent data in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition, the TNM staging system does not include ECE status as a prognostic factor. This systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted to summarize and pool existing data to determine the prognostic role of ECE in patients with lymph node-positive NSCLC. Two authors performed an independent search in PubMed using a predefined keyword list, without language restrictions with publication date since 1990. Prospective or retrospective studies reporting data on prognostic parameters in subjects with NSCLC with positive ECE or with only intracapsular lymph node metastasis were retrieved. Data were summarized using risk ratios (RR) for the survival with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The data was analyzed using Mix 2 (ref: Bax L: MIX 2.0 - Professional software for meta-analysis in Excel. Version 2.015. BiostatXL, 2016. https://www.meta-analysis-made-easy.com ). There 2,105 studies were reviewed. Five studies covering a total of 828 subjects met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Two hundred and ninety-eight (35.9%) patients were categorized as ECE+, of whom 54 (18.1%) survived at the end of follow-up. In the ECE-negative group, 257 patients (48.4%) survived by the end of follow-up. Thus, ECE status is associated with a significantly decreased survival rate: pooled RR 0.45 (95% CI 0.35-0.59), Q ₍₄₎ = 4.06, P _value = 0.39, and I ² = 68.00% (95 CI 0.00-79.55%). In conclusion, ECE has a significant impact on survival in NSCLC patients and should be considered in diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in addition to the current TNM staging. Postoperative radiotherapy may be an option in ECE-positive pN1 NSCLC patients.

Pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging of regional lymph nodes with carcinoembryonic antigen in prediction of synchronous distant metastasis in patients with rectal cancer

Distant metastasis in patients with rectal cancer remains a problem influencing prognosis. Prediction of synchronous distant metastasis is important for the choice of personalized treatment strategies and postoperative follow-up protocol. So far, there are few studies about the predictive value of MRI features combined with clinical characteristics for synchronous distant metastasis in rectal cancer, especially for the lesions developed within 6 months after surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the pretreatment clinical characteristics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of 271 patients from January 2010 to December 2011with pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma and tried to identify independent risk factors for synchronous distant metastasis. Forty-nine patients (18.1%) were confirmed to have synchronous distant metastasis. Multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated that the elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), positive MRI-predicted lymph nodes staging (mrN), and MRI-predicted mesorectal fascia (mrMRF) involvement were independent risk factors. The odd ratios were 12.2 for elevated CEA, 5.4 for mrN1 and 7.6 for mrN2, and 3.8 for mrMRF involvement, respectively. The accuracy and specificity for predicting synchronous distant metastasis by evaluating the positive mrN combined with elevated CEA were improved to 87.8% and 94.6%, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of positive mrN assessment were 86.1%, 71.4% and 91.7%, respectively using the histopathologic results as the reference standard. Altogether, our findings suggest that pretreatment positive mrN and elevated CEA are independent risk factors for synchronous distant metastasis in rectal cancer and combination of both could help to recognize the patients with high risk for structuring personalized treatment protocol.

Extranodal extension status is a powerful prognostic factor in stage III colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with extranodal extension (ENE) and the prognostic implications of ENE in stage III colorectal cancer (CRC).

RESULTS

ENE was more frequent in younger patients and those with rectal cancer, higher T stage, higher N stage, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and perineural invasion (PNI). Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were lower in patients with ENE-positive than in those with ENE-negative tumors (DFS, 66.4% vs. 80.1%; and OS, 74.8% vs. 85.6%, respectively; P < 0.001 both). In multivariate analysis, pathologic stage, the presence of ENE, LVI, PNI, and no adjuvant chemotherapy were significant independent prognostic factors for DFS and OS. There were no statistically significant differences in DFS and OS between ENE-positive stage IIIB tumors and ENE-negative stage IIIC tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of 1,948 stage III CRC patients who underwent curative surgery between January 2003 and December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of ENE is independently and significantly associated with lower DFS and OS rates after curative resection for stage III CRC. ENE status should be considered in both the pathologic report and CRC staging system.

Clinical Significance of Extramural Tumor Deposits in the Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Area in Low Rectal Cancer: A Retrospective Study at Two Institutions

Background

The presence of extramural tumor deposits without lymph node structure (EX) is an important prognostic factor for patients with colorectal cancer. However, the clinical significance of EX in the lateral pelvic lymph node area (LP-EX) remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the prognostic implications of LP-EX for patients with low rectal cancer.

Methods

This retrospective study involved 172 consecutive patients with stage 2 or 3 low rectal cancer who underwent curative surgery including lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) dissection. The patients were classified into the following three groups according to the metastatic status of the LPLN area: patients without metastasis (no-LP-M group), patients with lymph node metastasis (LP-LNM group), and patients with EX (LP-EX group). Potential prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were identified in uni- and multivariate analyses.

Results

Classification assigned 131 patients (76 %) to the no-LP-M group, 27 patients (16 %) to the LP-LNM group, and 14 patients (8 %) to the LP-EX group. The 5-year OS rate was 80.3 % in the no-LP-M group, 61.1 % in the LP-LNM group, and 34.9 % in the LP-EX group (P < 0.001). The corresponding 5-year RFS rates were 62.2, 33.8, and 14.3 %, respectively (P < 0.001). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the presence of LP-EX was an independent prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.006) and RFS (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

The LP-EX classification is a useful pathologic parameter that can be used to stratify patients with metastasis in the LPLN area.

Necessary circumferential resection margins to prevent rectal cancer relapse after abdomino-peranal (intersphincteric) resection

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine the adequate circumferential resection margin (CRM) for abdomino-peranal (intersphincteric) resection (ISR) that would prevent the relapse of rectal cancers.

METHODS

The records of 41 cases that underwent curative ISR for rectal cancer were retrospectively reviewed. The relapse-free survival rates and overall survival rates were evaluated and correlated with the maximum depth of the inner muscularis layer reached during ISR (i.e., the radial margin [RM] and distal margin [DM]). Cases were divided into three groups based on the sizes of the RM and DM: (1) group A (RM >2 mm and DM >1.5 cm), (2) group B (RM >2 mm or DM >1.5 cm but not both), and (3) group C (RM <2 mm and DM <1.5 cm).

RESULTS

The relapse-free survival rates of the cases in group C were lower than those in the cases of group A or group B (p = 0.002 and 0.037, respectively). The resection margins required to prevent rectal cancer relapse were >2 mm for the RM and >1.5 cm for the DM. For these margins, the intersphincteric space had to be entered (i.e., between the internal and external anal sphincters).

CONCLUSION

It is critical to enter the intersphincteric space to ensure an adequate CRM (RM >2 mm and DM >1.5 cm) for preventing rectal cancer recurrence after ISR.

Extranodal extension in N1-adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and papilla of Vater: a systematic review and meta-analysis of its prognostic significance

The aim of the study was to investigate the prognostic role of extranodal extension (ENE) of lymph node metastasis in adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC) and papilla [cancer of the papilla of Vater (CPV)]. A PubMed and SCOPUS search from database inception until 5 January 2015 without language restrictions was conducted. Eligible were prospective studies reporting data on prognostic parameters in individuals with PDAC and/or CPV, comparing participants with the presence of ENE (ENE+) with those with intranodal extension (ENE-). Data were summarized using risk ratios for number of deaths/recurrences and hazard ratios for time-dependent risk related to ENE+, adjusted for potential confounders. ENE was found to be very common in these tumors (up to about 60% in both N1-PDAC and CPV), leading to a significant increased risk for all-cause mortality [risk ratio=1.20; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-1.35, P=0.003, I(2)=44%; hazard ratio=1.415, 95% CI: 1.215-1.650, P<0.0001, I(2)=0%] and recurrence of disease (risk ratio=1.20, 95% CI: 1.03-1.40, P=0.02, I(2)=0%). On the basis of our results, in PDAC and CPV, ENE should be considered mandatorily from the gross sampling and pathology report to the oncologic staging and therapeutic approach.

Prognostic impact and implications of extracapsular lymph node involvement in colorectal cancer: a systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The extranodal extension (ENE) of nodal metastasis (i.e. the extension of tumor cells through the nodal capsule into the perinodal adipose tissue) has recently emerged as an important prognostic factor in different types of malignancies. However, the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system for colorectal cancer does not consider it as a prognostic parameter. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prognostic role of ENE in patients with lymph node-positive colorectal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two independent authors searched PubMed and SCOPUS until 7 January 2015 without language restrictions. Prospective studies reporting data on prognostic parameters in subjects with colorectal cancer, comparing participants with the presence of ENE (ENE+) versus only intranodal extension (ENE-) were eligible. Data were summarized using risk ratios (RRs) for the number of deaths/recurrences and hazard ratios (HRs) together with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for time-dependent risk related to ENE+, adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies including 1336 patients were identified with a median follow-up of 4.7 years. ENE was associated with a higher T stage and tumor grading. In addition, ENE was associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality (RR = 1.75; 95% CI 1.42-2.16, P < 0.0001, I(2) = 60%; HR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.32-2.17, P < 0.0001, I(2) = 46%) and of recurrence of disease (RR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.65-2.61, P < 0.0001, I(2) = 47%; HR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.54-3.44, P < 0.0001, I(2) = 48%).

CONCLUSIONS

Based of these results, in colorectal cancer, ENE should be considered from the gross sampling to the pathology report, as well as in future oncologic staging systems.

The predicting value of postoperative body temperature on long-term survival in patients with rectal cancer

This study aimed to assess the association between postoperative body temperature and prognosis in patients with rectal cancer. Five hundred and seven patients with stage I to III rectal cancers were enrolled in the current study. Basal body temperature (BBT, measured at 6 am) and maximal body temperature (MBT) on each day after surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two equal groups according to the median of BBT and MBT at each day. The primary end points were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The univariate and multivariate analyses showed that patients with low D0-MBT (<37.4 °C) had lower 3-year DFS [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.56 (95 % CI 1.08-2.24, P = 0.017)] as well as OS [adjusted HR 1.72 (95 % CI 1.05-2.82, P = 0.032)] rate as compared to those with high D0-MBT (>37.4 °C). In the subset of 318 patients with T3 stage tumor and the subgroup of 458 patients without blood transfusion as well, low D0-MBT continues to be an independent predictor of DFS/OS with an adjusted HR equal to 1.48 (95 % CI 1.02-2.24, P = 0.046)/1.68 (95 % CI 1.04-2.99, P = 0.048) and 1.45 (95 % CI 1.02-2.13, P = 0.048)/1.59 (95 % CI 1.01-2.74, P = 0.049), respectively. In addition, we found that patients have higher risk of 1-year recurrence if those were exhibiting low preoperative BBT (<36.6 °C) (17 vs. 10 %, P = 0.034). Low body temperature (D0-MBT < 37.4 °C) after surgery was an independent predictor of poor survival outcomes in patients with rectal cancer.