title: Implications of lymph node retrieval in locoregional rectal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy: a California Cancer Registry Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In contrast to colon cancer, the implications of reduced lymph node retrieval in rectal cancer are unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the California Cancer Registry, we performed a retrospective cohort study of 4790 patients with stage I - III rectal cancer diagnosed from 2000 to 2007 who underwent tri-modality therapy. Using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, T-stage, and lymph node numbers, we evaluated rectal cancer specific survival (RC-SS) in neoadjuvant and adjuvant cohorts in the overall population and amongst those without involved lymph nodes (pN0).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty one percent of evaluable patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Although there was no difference in RC-SS between neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemoradiation cohorts, the median number of lymph nodes examined was reduced after neoadjuvant therapy (8 vs. 11, p < 0.0001). Positive lymph nodes were associated with worse RC-SS regardless of sequence, although the effect was numerically stronger for residual lymph nodes in the neoadjuvant cohort. Compared to at least 12, eight or fewer lymph nodes retrieved was associated with worse outcome in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant cohorts. However, no association between reduced lymph nodes examined and RC-SS was seen in the neoadjuvant cohort when the analysis was restricted to pN0 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this large cohort of rectal cancer patients treated with tri-modality therapy, reduced lymph node retrieval in node negative patients did not provide additional prognostic information in patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy.
authors: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gill
authors: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Brunson
authors: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Lara
authors: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Khatri
authors: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA. Electronic address: thomas.semrad@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.
authors: T J
authors: TJ
authors: Semrad
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Adjuvant; Chemoradiotherapy; Lymph nodes; Neoadjuvant therapy; Neoplasm staging; Rectal neoplasms