Number of Lymph Node Metastases May Indicate the Regimen for Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Stage III Colorectal Cancer.
BACKGROUND
Adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) may prevent recurrence in patients with stage III colorectal cancer (CRC). However, only 10% of patients benefit from ACT and no effective indicators exist to predict which patients are likely to benefit. The present study validated metastatic lymph node (MLN) number as a new indicator for ACT.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 173 patients with stage III CRC, who were classified by Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage or N category, and analyzed their overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) according to stage, number of MLNs and ACT use.


RESULTS
Among 173 patients, we found 65 with only one MLN (N1a). For N1a patients treated with ACT, the 5-year OS rate was 100%; the 3-year DFS rate was 92.7% for those treated with oral ACT.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of MLNs is a simple indicator for ACT in patients with stage III CRC. For patients with only one MLN, oral chemotherapy is a good option.
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan k-ando@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
Koji
K
Ando
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Eiji
E
Oki
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Saeki
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yuta
Y
Kasagi
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yasuo
Y
Tsuda
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yoko
Y
Zaitsu
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yuichiro
Y
Nakashima
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Y U
YU
Imamura
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Kippei
K
Ohgaki
Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yoshihiko
Y
Maehara
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
Colorectal cancer; adjuvant chemotherapy; numbers of metastatic lymph nodes