The Relationship between the Number of Metastatic Lymph Nodes and Prognosis of Patients with Dukes C Colon Cancer

Hideyuki Ishida, Hiroshi Furukawa, Masayuki Tatsuta, Seizo Masutani, Hiroshi Imamura, Junzo Shimizu, Norikazu Masuda, Koji Ezumi, Takatoshi Kawasaki and Takeshi Satomi

Department of Surgery, Sakai Municipal Hospital

Background: The number of metastatic lymph nodes is considered an important prognostic factor in colorectal cancer in Europe and North America. Methods: We studied prognostic factors in 144 patients with Dukes C colon cancer undergoing curative surgery. Results: No significant differences was seen in survival due to the histological depth of tumor invasion and lymphatic or venous invasion. No significant differences was seen in 5-year survival between patients with n1 metastasis (n=94, 72.2%) and n2+n3 metastasis (n=45+5, 66.2%) based on the Japanese Classification of Colorectal Carcinoma (JCCC). Five-year survival in patients with 2 or fewer metastatic lymph nodes(n=86, 80.7%) was statistically higher than that in those with 3 or more metastatic lymph nodes (n=58, 52.8%) (p=0.011). Five-year survival in those with 3 or fewer metastatic nodes (n=104, 78.3%) was also statistically higher than that in those with 4 or more metastatic nodes (n=40, 46.7%) (p=0.0220, as is the TNM Classification. Discussion: The number of metastatic lymph nodes, i.e., −2 vs 3- or−3 vs 4-, is a prognostic factor in patients with Dukes C colon cancer. The metastatic lymph node number is thus to be included in the JCCC.

Key words
colon cancer, TNM classification, Japanese Classification of Colorectal Carcinoma

Reprint requests
Hideyuki Ishida Department of Surgery, Sakai Municipal Hospital, 1-1-1 Minamiyasuichou, Sakai, 590-0064 JAPAN

Accepted
December 21受理, 2001

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