Pathologic Upstaging in Patients Undergoing Resection for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Are There Modifiable Predictors?
BACKGROUND
A substantial proportion of patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have more advanced disease on final pathologic review. We studied potentially modifiable factors that may predict pathologic upstaging.


METHODS
Data of patients with clinical stage I NSCLC undergoing resection were obtained from the National Cancer Database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables that predict upstaging.


RESULTS
From 1998 to 2010, 55,653 patients with clinical stage I NSCLC underwent resection; of these, 9,530 (17%) had more advanced disease on final pathologic review. Of the 9,530 upstaged patients, 27% had T3 or T4 tumors, 74% had positive lymph nodes (n > 0), and 4% were found to have metastatic disease (M1). Patients with larger tumors (38 mm vs 29 mm, p < 0.001) and a delay greater than 8 weeks from diagnosis to resection were more likely to be upstaged. Upstaged patients also had more lymph nodes examined (10.9 vs 8.2, p < 0.001) and were more likely to have positive resection margins (10% vs 2%, p < 0.001). Median survival was lower in upstaged patients (39 months vs 73 months). Predictors of upstaging in multivariate regression analysis included larger tumor size, delay in resection greater 8 weeks, positive resection margins, and number of lymph nodes examined. There was a linear relationship between the number of lymph nodes examined and the odds of upstaging (1 to 3 nodes, odds ratio [OR] 2.01; >18 nodes OR 6.14).


CONCLUSIONS
Pathologic upstaging is a common finding with implications for treatment and outcomes in clinical stage I NSCLC. A thorough analysis of regional lymph nodes is critical to identify patients with more advanced disease.
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Matthew J
MJ
Bott
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Aalok P
AP
Patel
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Traves D
TD
Crabtree
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Graham A
GA
Colditz
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Daniel
D
Kreisel
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
A Sasha
AS
Krupnick
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
G Alexander
GA
Patterson
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Stephen
S
Broderick
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Bryan F
BF
Meyers
Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Electronic address: puriv@wudosis.wustl.edu.
Varun
V
Puri
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States