Prognosis of node‐positive colon cancer Journal Article


Authors: Cohen, A. M.; Tremiterra, S.; Candela, F.; Thaler, H. T.; Sigurdson, E. R.
Article Title: Prognosis of node‐positive colon cancer
Abstract: The most recent American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer (AJCC/UICC) staging system subgroups patients into one to three and four or more positive nodes. However, the Gastrointestinal Study Group and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project divides node‐positive patients into one to four and five or greater. A Cox multi‐variate retrospective analysis was done of the overall survival of node‐positive colon cancer patients with the specific objective of determining the most appropriate subcategorization. Data on 306 patients with node‐positive colon cancer who underwent potentially curative surgery from 1970 to 1984 were analyzed retrospectively. No patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. Also excluded were patients with synchronous resected metastatic disease or those with rectal primaries. The median follow‐up was 6 years, and the median survival for the entire group was 8.6 years. By univariate analysis, the following were significant prognostic features: number of positive nodes (P < 0.0001), degree of differentiation (P < 0.0001), colon primary site (P = 0.009), tumor stage (P = 0.001), and tumor size (P < 0.0001). Lymphatic/blood vessel invasion and a mucinous histology were not significant. By Cox multivariate analysis the number of positive lymph nodes remained the best discriminant of survival (P = 0.0001). The number of positive nodes was related inversely to prognosis with the optimal dichotomization between one to three (66% 5‐year survival) and four or greater nodes (37% 5‐year survival). Copyright © 1991 American Cancer Society
Keywords: survival rate; retrospective studies; major clinical study; cancer staging; follow-up studies; lymph node metastasis; lymphatic metastasis; neoplasm staging; colonic neoplasms; colon cancer; neoplasm invasiveness; prognosis; human; priority journal; article
Journal Title: Cancer
Volume: 67
Issue: 7
ISSN: 0008-543X
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 1991-04-01
Start Page: 1859
End Page: 1861
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19910401)67:7<1859::Aid-cncr2820670707>3.0.Co;2-a
PUBMED: 2004298
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 27 September 2019 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Alfred M Cohen
    244 Cohen
  2. Howard T Thaler
    245 Thaler