Standard protocol for assessment of colon cancer improves the quality of pathology

Lymph node ratio is a more robust predictor of overall survival than N stage in stage III colorectal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Lymph node ratio (LNR) may offer superior prognostic stratification in colorectal adenocarcinoma compared with N stage. However, candidate cutoff ratios require validation. We aimed to study the prognostic significance of LNR and its optimal cutoff ratio.

METHODS

We reviewed the pathology records of all patients with stage III colorectal adenocarcinoma who were managed at the King Hussein Cancer Center between January 2014 and December 2019. We then studied the clinical characteristics of the patients, correlates of lymph node count, prognostic significance of positive lymph nodes, and value of sampling additional lymph nodes.

RESULTS

Among 226 included patients, 94.2% had ≥ 12 lymph nodes sampled, while 5.8% had < 12 sampled lymph nodes. The median number of lymph nodes sampled varied according to tumor site, neoadjuvant therapy, and the grossing pathologist's level of training. According to the TNM system, 142 cases were N1 (62.8%) and 84 were N2 (37.2%). Survival distributions differed according to LNR at 10% (p = 0.022), and 16% (p < 0.001), but not the N stage (p = 0.065). Adjusted Cox-regression analyses demonstrated that both N stage and LNR at 10% and 16% predicted overall survival (p = 0.044, p = 0.010, and p = 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

LNR is a robust predictor of overall survival in patients with stage III colorectal adenocarcinoma. At a cutoff ratio of 0.10 and 0.16, LNR offers better prognostic stratification in comparison with N stage and is less susceptible to variation introduced by the number of lymph nodes sampled, which is influenced both by clinical variables and grossing technique.

Standard Lymphadenectomy for Esophageal and Lung Cancer: Variability in the Number of Examined Lymph Nodes Among Pathologists and Its Survival Implication

AIM

We compared variability in number of examined lymph nodes between pathologists and analyzed survival implications in lung and esophageal cancer after standardized lymphadenectomy.

METHODS

Outcomes of 294 N2 dissected lung cancer patients and 132 2-field dissected esophageal cancer patients were retrospectively examined. The primary outcome was difference in reported lymph node count among pathologists. Secondary outcomes were overall and disease-specific survival related to this count and survival related to the 50% probability cut-off value of detecting metastasis based on the number of examined lymph nodes.

RESULTS

The median number of examined lymph nodes in lung cancer was 13 (IQR 9-17) and in esophageal cancer it was 22 (18-29). The pathologist with the highest median number of examined nodes had > 50% higher lymph node yield compared with the pathologist with the lowest median number of nodes in lung (15 vs. 9.5, p = 0.003), and esophageal cancer (28 vs. 17, p = 0.003). Survival in patients stratified by median reported lymph node count in both lung (adjusted RMST ratio < 14 vs. ≥ 14 lymph nodes 0.99, 95% CI 0.88-1.10; p = 0.810) and esophageal cancer (adjusted RMST ratio < 25 vs. ≥ 25 lymph nodes 0.95, 95% CI 0.79-1.15, p = 0.612) was similar. The cut-off value for 50% probability of detecting metastasis by number of examined lymph nodes in lung cancer was 15.7 and in esophageal cancer 21.8. When stratified by this cut-off, no survival differences were seen.

CONCLUSION

The quality of lymphadenectomy based on lymph node yield is susceptible to error due to detected variability between pathologists in the number of examined lymph nodes. This variability in yield did not have any survival effect after standardized lymphadenectomy.

Who should operate patients presenting with emergent colon cancer? A comparison of short- and long-term outcome depending on surgical sub-specialization

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer presents as emergencies in 20% of the cases. Emergency resection is associated with high postoperative morbidity and mortality. The specialization of the operating team in the emergency settings differs from the elective setting, which may have an impact on outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes following emergent colon cancer surgery depending on sub-specialization of the operating team.

METHODS

This is a retrospective population study based on data from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry (SCRCR). In total, 656 patients undergoing emergent surgery for colon cancer between 2011 and 2016 were included. The cohort was divided in groups according to specialization of the operating team: (1) colorectal team (CRT); (2) emergency surgical team (EST); (3) general surgical team (GST). The impact of specialization on short- and long-term outcomes was analyzed.

RESULTS

No statistically significant difference in 5-year overall survival (CRT 48.3%; EST 45.7%; GST 42.5%; p = 0.60) or 3-year recurrence-free survival (CRT 80.7%; EST 84.1%; GST 77.7%21.1%; p = 0.44) was noted between the groups. Neither was any significant difference in 30-day mortality (4.4%; 8.1%; 5.5%, p = 0.20), 90-day mortality (8.8; 11.9; 7.9%, p = 0.37) or postoperative complication rate (35.5%, 35.9 30.7, p = 0.52) noted between the groups. Multivariate analysis adjusted for case-mix showed no difference in hazard ratios for long-term survival or postoperative complications. The rate of permanent stoma after 3 years was higher in the EST group compared to the CRT and GST groups (34.5% vs. 24.3% and 23.9%, respectively; p < 0.0.5).

CONCLUSION

Surgical sub-specialization did not significantly affect postoperative complication rate, nor short- or long-term survival after emergent operation for colon cancer. Patients operated by emergency surgical teams were more likely to have a permanent stoma after 3 years.

A nomogram for predicting 10-year cancer specific survival in patients with pathological T3N0M0 rectal cancer

Background

The pathological T3N0M0 (pT3N0M0) rectal cancer is the earliest stage and has the best prognosis in the locally advanced rectal cancer, but the optimal treatment remains controversial. A reliable prognostic model is needed to discriminate the high-risk patients from the low-risk patients, and optimize adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) treatment decisions by predicting the likelihood of ACT benefit for the target population.

Patients and methods

We gathered and analyzed 276 patients in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from March 2005 to December 2011. All patients underwent total mesorectal excision (TME), without preoperative therapy, and were pathologically proven pT3N0M0 rectal cancer with negative circumferential resection margin (CRM). LASSO regression model was used for variable selection and risk factor prediction. Multivariable cox regression was used to develop the predicting model. Optimum cut-off values were determined using X-Tile plot analysis. The 10-fold cross-validation was adopted to validate the model. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated with its calibration, discrimination and clinical usefulness.

Results

A total of 188 patients (68.1%) had ACT and no patients had adjuvant radiotherapy. Age, monocyte percentage, carbohydrate antigen 19–9, lymph node dissection numbers and perineural invasion (PNI) were identified as significantly associated variables that could be combined for an accurate prediction risk of Cancer Specific Survival (CSS) for pT3N0M0 patients. The model adjusted for CSS showed good discrimination with a C-index of 0.723 (95% CI: 0.652–0.794). The calibration curves showed that the nomogram adjusted for CSS was able to predict 3-, 5-, and 10-year CSS accurately. The corresponding predicted probability was used to stratify high and low-risk patients (10-year CSS: 69.1% vs. 90.8%, HR = 3.815, 95%CI: 2.102–6.924, P < 0.0001). ACT improved overall survival (OS) in the low-risk patients (10-year OS: 91.9% vs. 83.3%, HR = 0.338, 95% CI: 0.135–0.848, P < 0.0001), while it did not exhibit a significant benefit in the high-risk patients.

Conclusion

The present study showed that age, monocyte percentage, carbohydrate antigen 19–9, lymph node dissection numbers and PNI were independent prognostic factors for pT3N0M0 rectal cancer patients. A nomogram based on these prognostic factors effectively predicts CSS in patients, which can be conveniently used in clinical practice. ACT may improve overall survival in the low-risk patients. But the benefit of ACT was not seen in the high-risk patients.

Improvement of Care in Patients With Colorectal Cancer: Influence of the Introduction of Standardized Structured Reporting for Pathology

PURPOSE

The use of standardized structured reporting (SSR) can improve communication between cancer specialists, which might improve clinical care; however, there are no reliable data on whether the introduction of SSR is associated with improvements in clinical outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study in the Netherlands, including all patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) from 2009 to 2014. As a reference, cohorts of 2007 and 2008 were included. Data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry were used and combined with data from the Dutch Pathology Registry (PALGA) and the Dutch ColoRectal Audit. We tested the preformulated hypothesis that use of SSR improves the care of patients with CRC by improving the completeness of the pathology reports, the quality of the pathology evaluation, and patient outcomes with respect to treatment and survival.

RESULTS

We included 72,859 patients with CRC (23.8% reference, 32.9% SSR, and 43.3% narrative reports). Use of SSR increased over time, which resulted in more complete pathology reports (95.8% v 89.8%; P < .001). Risk assessment in stage II colon cancer was more adequate and resulted in an increased delivery of adjuvant therapy in patients with SSR (19.6% v 15.1%; P = .001). Risk of death for patients in the SSR group was significantly lowered (corrected hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% CI 0.90 to 0.97).

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate that use of SSR improved patient care in those with CRC by providing more complete reports of higher quality, which had significant effects on the delivery of adjuvant therapy and patient outcomes.

No benefit of extended mesenteric resection with central vascular ligation in right-sided colon cancer

AIM

The optimal extent of mesenteric resection in colon cancer surgery is not known. We have previously shown an increased mortality associated with wider mesenteric resection in right hemicolectomy. This study compares the short- and long-term outcome in three variations of right hemicolectomy based on the position of the vascular ligature in the mesentery.

METHOD

In all, 2084 cases of cancer in the caecum or ascending colon were identified in the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry and categorized according to the position of the vascular ligature: central ligation of ileocolic vessels (ICVs) ± right colic vessels (n = 390), central ligation of ICVs + right branch of middle colic vessels (MCVs) (n = 1360) and central ligation of ICVs + central ligation of MCVs (n = 334).

RESULTS

Neither 3-year overall survival, 3-year disease-free survival nor local recurrence rate differed between the groups (P = 0.604; P = 0.247; P = 0.237). There was still no difference after multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, TNM stage and adjuvant therapy. An increased peri-operative mortality, however, was observed in extended mesenteric resections, increasing from 0.8% in non-extended to 3.6% in more extended resection, P = 0.025.

CONCLUSION

The study showed no survival benefit by more extended mesenteric resection, indicating that there is no need to extend the mesenteric resection to involve the MCVs in cancer of the caecum or ascending colon. On the contrary, increased peri-operative mortality by more extensive mesenteric resection was noted suggesting that a more conservative approach may be favourable.

The effects of implementing synoptic pathology reporting in cancer diagnosis: a systematic review

Pathology reporting is evolving from a traditional narrative report to a more structured synoptic report. Narrative reporting can cause misinterpretation due to lack of information and structure. In this systematic review, we evaluate the impact of synoptic reporting on completeness of pathology reports and quality of pathology evaluation for solid tumours. Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases were systematically searched to identify studies describing the effect of synoptic reporting implementation on completeness of reporting and quality of pathology evaluation of solid malignant tumours. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies, except one, reported an increased overall completeness of pathology reports after introduction of synoptic reporting (SR). Most frequently studied cancers were breast (n = 9) and colorectal cancer (n = 16). For breast cancer, narrative reports adequately described 'tumour type' and 'nodal status'. Synoptic reporting resulted in improved description of 'resection margins', 'DCIS size', 'location' and 'presence of calcifications'. For colorectal cancer, narrative reports adequately reported 'tumour type', 'invasion depth', 'lymph node counts' and 'nodal status'. Synoptic reporting resulted in increased reporting of 'circumferential margin', 'resection margin', 'perineural invasion' and 'lymphovascular invasion'. In addition, increased numbers of reported lymph nodes were found in synoptic reports. Narrative reports of other cancer types described the traditional parameters adequately, whereas for 'resection margins' and '(lympho)vascular/perineural invasion', implementation of synoptic reporting was necessary. Synoptic reporting results in improved reporting of clinical relevant data. Demonstration of clinical impact of this improved method of pathology reporting is required for successful introduction and implementation in daily pathology practice.

The impact of standard protocol implementation on the quality of colorectal cancer pathology reporting

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study is to assess the influence of standardized protocol implementation on the quality of colorectal cancer histopathology reporting.

METHODS

A standardized protocol was created based on the recommendations of The College of American Pathologists. The impact of this protocol was measured by comparing frequencies of assessed parameters in histopathology reports before and after implementation.

RESULTS

In total, 177 histopathology reports were included in this study. The numbers of harvested lymph nodes were 12.4 ± 5.2 (colon) and 12.6 ± 5.4 (rectum) before protocol; and 17.1 ± 6.5 (colon), and 16.6 ± 7.0 after protocol implementation; differences were statistically significant. The recommended minimum of 12 lymph nodes was not achieved in 42.8 % (colon) and 45.7 % (rectum) of specimens before, and in 10.4 % (colon) and 17.7 % (rectum) of specimens after protocol implementation; differences were statistically significant. There were no differences in histopathology assessment of proximal and distal resection margins, grading assessment, TNM staging recording, and number of positive findings of microscopic tumor aggressiveness. The findings of tumor budding, tumor satellites, and assessment of microscopic tumor aggressiveness were more frequent after protocol implementation. Histopathology reports of rectal specimens contained assessments of the macroscopic quality of mesorectum, circumferential resection margin, and neoadjuvant therapy effect (if administered) only after protocol introduction.

CONCLUSIONS

A standardized protocol is a valuable and effective tool for improving the quality of histopathology reporting. Its implementation is associated with more precise specimen evaluation, higher numbers of harvested lymph nodes, and improved completeness of histopathology reports.

Wide excision in right-sided colon cancer is associated with decreased survival

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Nodal involvement is the most important prognostic factor in colon cancer. Although theoretically appealing, it is not known if wider mesenteric excision improves the oncological result. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate whether wider mesenteric excision yields a superior oncological result.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Depending on the resection length, 333 cases of locally radical right-sided hemicolectomies due to adenocarcinoma were compared for perioperative morbidity and mortality, disease-free survival, and long-term survival.

RESULTS

Postoperative mortality was significantly higher in the quartile with the longest resections, p = 0.003. In a multivariate analysis adjusted for age, stage, emergency operation, adjuvant chemotherapy, and year of operation, a negative relationship between resection length and 5-year overall survival was noted, p = 0.01. No differences in the causes of death or in the incidence of local or distant recurrences were noted between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Wider excision in right-sided hemicolectomies was not associated with any oncological benefit but an increased postoperative mortality and a decreased 5-year overall survival. These findings may suggest consideration to perform wide mesenteric resections routinely. Further research is warranted to define which patients benefit from wider resections.

Ex vivo dissection increases lymph node yield in oesophagogastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Retrieval and analysis of an adequate number of lymph nodes is critical for accurate staging of oesophageal and gastric cancer. Higher total node counts reported by pathologists are associated with improved survival. A prospective study was undertaken to understand the factors contributing to variability in lymph node counts after oesophagogastric cancer resections and to determine whether a novel strategy of ex vivo dissection of resected specimens into nodal stations improves node counts reported by pathologists.

METHODS

The study involved 88 patients with potentially curable oesophagogastric cancer undergoing radical resection. Lymph node counts were obtained from pathology reports and analysed in relation to multiple variables including the introduction of ex vivo dissection of nodal stations in theatre.

RESULTS

Higher lymph node counts were obtained with ex vivo dissection of nodal stations (median 19 versus 8, P < 0.01). Node counts also varied significantly with the reporting pathologist (median range 4 to 48, P = 0.02) which was independent of the level of experience of the pathologist (P = 0.67). Node counts were not affected by patient age (P = 0.26), gender (P = 0.50), operative approach (P = 0.50) or neoadjuvant therapy (P = 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

Specimen handling is a significant factor in determining lymph node yield following radical oesophageal and gastric cancer resections. Ex vivo dissection of resected specimens into nodal stations improves node counts without alterations to surgical techniques. Ex vivo dissection should be considered routine.

Qualitative and quantitative issues of lymph nodes as prognostic factor in colon cancer

For patients undergoing curative resections for colon cancer, the nodal status represents the strongest prognostic factor, yet at the same time the most disputed issue as well. Consequently, the qualitative and quantitative aspects of lymph node evaluation are thus being scrutinized beyond the blunt distinction between 'node positive' (pN+) and 'node negative' (pN0) disease. Controversy ranges from a minimal or 'least-unit' strategy as exemplified by the 'sentinel node' to a maximally invasive or 'all inclusive' approach by extensive surgery. Ranging between these two extremes of node sampling strategies are factors of quantitative and qualitative value, which may be subject to modification. Qualitative issues may include aspects of lymph node harvest reflected by surgeon, pathologist and even hospital performance, which all may be subject to modification. However, patient's age, gender and genotype may be non-modifiable, yet influence node sample. Quantitative issues may reflect the balance between absolute numbers and models investigating the relationships of positive to negative nodes (lymph node ratio; log odds of positive lymph nodes). This review provides an updated overview of the current controversies and a state-of-the-art perspective on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of using lymph nodes as a prognostic marker in colon cancer.

Structured electronic template for histopathology reporting on colorectal carcinoma resections: five-year follow-up shows sustainable long-term quality improvement

CONTEXT

To improve quality, pathology organizations have published guidelines with key parameters for histopathology reporting on cancer resections. Checklists or structured templates improve upon the presence of key parameters in histopathology reports, but data are lacking on long-term sustainability of such reporting. From 2003 to 2006, the Cancer Registry of Norway and the Norwegian Society of Pathology collaborated on the development of a structured electronic template for histopathology reporting on colorectal carcinoma resections.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate use and long-term effect of this structured template in one of the first laboratories implementing the template for routine diagnostic work.

DESIGN

All histopathology reports (n =123) in the 1-year period prior to implementation were evaluated with respect to presence of key parameters. Likewise, all histopathology reports (n =1186) in the 5-year period after implementation were evaluated with respect to template use and presence of key parameters.

RESULTS

The electronic template had been used in 1089 (91.8%) of the 1186 cases. Template use was stable in the entire 5-year period, and had significantly improved upon the presence of data on 7 of 11 key parameters valid for both the pre-implementation and the post-implementation period. Eight hundred and twenty-two (75.5%) of the 1089 template reports contained information on all key parameters, compared to just 20 (16.3%) of the 123 free text reports in the 1-year pre-implementation period.

CONCLUSION

Electronic template reporting has a significant and sustainable long-term, positive effect upon the quality of histopathology reports.

Plexin-B1 and semaphorin 4D cooperate to promote perineural invasion in a RhoA/ROK-dependent manner

Perineural invasion (PNI) is a tropism of tumor cells for nerve bundles located in the surrounding stroma. It is a pathological feature observed in certain tumors, referred to as neurotropic malignancies, that severely limits the ability to establish local control of disease and results in pain, recurrent growth, and distant metastases. Despite the importance of PNI as a prognostic indicator, its biological mechanisms are poorly understood. The semaphorins and their receptors, the plexins, compose a family of proteins originally shown to be important in nerve cell adhesion, axon migration, and proper central nervous system development. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that these factors are expressed in tissues outside of the nervous system and represent a widespread signal transduction system that is involved in the regulation of motility and adhesion in different cell types. We believe that the plexins and semaphorins, which are strongly expressed in both axons and many carcinomas, play a role in PNI. In this study, we show that plexin-B1 is overexpressed in tissues and cell lines from neurotropic malignancies and is attracted to nerves that express its ligand, semaphorin 4D, in a Rho/Rho kinase-dependent manner. We also demonstrate that nerves are attracted to tumors through this same system of proteins, suggesting that both plexin-B1 and semaphorin 4D are important in the promotion of PNI.

Factors affecting lymph node yield from patients undergoing colectomy for cancer

PURPOSE

Lymph node (LN) yield is a critical component of colon cancer staging and is often a surrogate for quality assessment in surgery. We investigated the impact of pathologists' training on LN harvest.

METHODS

This is a retrospective review on 137 patients undergoing elective colectomy for adenocarcinoma at a single institution from 2008 to 2009. We studied surgeon-, patient- and pathologist-derived factors, and identified independent variables affecting LN yield using logistic regression.

RESULTS

LN yield was similar between open and laparoscopic resections (21 versus 23, p = 0.54). Similarly, nodal counts were independent of tumor location (p = 0.08) and no difference was noted between colorectal and general surgeons (24 versus 21, p = 0.31). Strikingly, the number of LNs reported by PGY-1 pathology residents was significantly higher than those with two or more years of training (24 versus 19, p = 0.02). On logistic regression, only the reporting pathologists' year in training remained a significant predictor of the number of nodes reported (OR = 5.28, p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

LN retrieval in patients with colon cancer is inversely related to the interpreting pathologists' level of training.