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Incidence and prognostic implications of isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes from patients with Dukes B colorectal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Lymph node metastasis in colorectal carcinoma is an important prognostic factor, yet the prognostic relevance of occult tumor cells in lymph nodes has not elucidated. This study was performed to investigate the correlation between isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes and malignancy potential in patients with Dukes B colorectal carcinoma and, thus, to determine whether presence of isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes has a prognostic significance. METHODS: To evaluate the incidence of isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes in patients with Dukes B colorectal carcinoma, 1,808 lymph nodes taken from 93 patients (19.4 per case) were assessed by immunohistochemical technique using a monoclonal antihuman cytokeratin (MNF 116). Clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis were compared between patients with and without isolated tumor cells. RESULTS: Isolated tumor cells were identified in 54 lymph nodes from 29 patients (31.2 percent) by the immunostaining. No correlations were observed between the incidence of positive isolated tumor cells and various clinicopathologic parameters, including preoperative carcinoembryonic level, tumor site and size, histologic differentiation, pT stage, vascular invasion and lymphatic invasion, and perineural invasion. There was no difference in five-year survival estimated by Kaplan-Meier life-table method between positive and negative groups for isolated tumor cells (82.8 and 85.9 percent, respectively). Multivariate analyses showed that sex (P = 0.0236), serum carcinoembryonic level (>or= 5 ng/ml, P = 0.0002), and lymphatic vessel invasion (P = 0.0002) were significant factors in the survival time. CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical staining with an anticytokeratin antibody is useful in identifying isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes missed in routine hematoxylin-eosin staining, but clinically it seems to be of little prognostic value in patients with Dukes B colorectal carcinoma. Thus, this immunostaining technique does not offer a significant benefit of different strategies for additional therapy or follow-up during conventional pathologic staging using hematoxylin-eosin staining.

Adult↗

[Lymph node metastasis of glottic laryngeal carcinoma].

UNLABELLED: The incidence of lymph node metastases in glottic cancer is assumed to be lower than in other head and neck cancers. In a retrospective study this statement was investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This analysis was based on 910 consecutive patients with glottic carcinoma treated between 1970 and 1990 by means of surgery with special interest on regional lymph node metastases. RESULTS: 8.6 % patients had clinically positive necks (N+) and 5.9 % pathohistologically positive necks (pN+). The incidence of lymph node metastases showed correlation with pT category and vocal cord mobility. Lymph node metastases were found in 5 % of pT2, in 18 % of pT3 and in 32 % of pT4 tumors. Only one patient with pT1 cancer had metastatic lymph node involvement. The incidence of occult lymph node metastases was 18 %. Lymph node involvement, extracapsular spread and lymphangiosis carcinomatosa proved to be relevant prognostic factors. The 5 year recurrent free survival rate was 86.7 % for the whole group, 81.6 % for patients with negative nodes (pN0), and 61.8 % for patients with pN+ nodes (p < 0.001 according to logrank test). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical lymph node staging plays an important prognostic role in the staging procedure also in glottic carcinoma. At least in T3 carcinomas, elective treatment of the cervical lymph nodes seems to be necessary. T2 carcinomas with impaired cord mobility have a significant higher risk for metastatic spread; therefore neck dissection should be discussed also in these cases.

Adolescent↗

Axillary lymph node dose with tangential breast irradiation.

PURPOSE: The advent of sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy in the staging of breast cancer has resulted in a significant decrease in the extent of axillary nodal surgery. As the extent of axillary surgery decreases, the radiation dose and distribution within the axilla becomes increasingly important for current therapy planning and future analysis of results. This analysis examined the radiation dose distribution delivered to the anatomically defined axillary level I and II lymph node volume and surgically placed axillary clips with conventional tangential breast fields and CT-based three-dimensional (3D) planning. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Fifty consecutive patients with early-stage breast cancer undergoing breast conservation therapy were evaluated. All patients underwent 3D CT-based planning with conventional breast tangential fields designed to encompass the entire breast parenchyma. Using CT-based 3D planning, the dose distribution of the standard tangential breast irradiation fields was examined in relationship to the axillary level I and II lymph node volumes. Axillary level I and II lymph node anatomic volumes were defined by CT and surgical clips placed during complete level I-II lymph node dissection. Axillary level I-II lymph node volume doses were examined on the basis of the prescribed breast radiation dose and 3D dose distribution. RESULTS: All defined breast volumes received > or =95% of the prescribed dose. By contrast, the 95% isodose line encompassed only an average of 55% (range, 23-87%) of the axillary level I-II lymph node anatomic volume. No patient had complete coverage of the axillary level I-II lymph node region by the 95% isodose line. The mean anatomic axillary level I-II volume was 146.3 cm(3) (range, 83.1-313.0 cm(3)). The mean anatomic axillary level I-II volume encompassed by the 95% isodose line was 84.9 cm(3) (range, 25.1-219.0 cm(3)). The mean 95% isodose coverage of the surgical clip volume was 80%, and the median value was 81% (range, 58-98%). The mean volume deficit between the axillary level I-II volume and the surgical clip volume was 41.7 cm(3) (median, 30.0 cc). CONCLUSION: In this study, standard tangential breast radiation fields failed to deliver a therapeutic dose adequately to the axillary level I-II lymph node anatomic volume. No patient received complete coverage of the axillary level I-II lymph node volume. Surgically placed axillary clips also failed to delineate the level I-II axilla adequately. Definitive irradiation of the level I and II axillary lymph node region requires significant modification of standard tangential fields, best accomplished with 3D treatment planning, with specific targeting of anatomically defined axillary lymph node volumes as described, in addition to the breast parenchymal volumes.

Axilla↗

Frequency of noncontiguous lymph node involvement in patients with resectable nonsmall cell lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to investigate the patterns of lymph node spread and the frequency of involvement of noncontiguous lymph node stations in patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma who had complete surgical resection. METHODS: All patients who had surgical resection as their sole treatment for nonsmall cell lung carcinoma during the years 1987-1990 were reviewed. All patients were treated similarly. Generally, complete mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed after resection of the primary lesion and N1 lymph nodes. Patients were assessed for patterns of involvement of N1 and N2 lymph node stations. The frequency of noncontiguous involvement of lymph nodes (involvement of N2 lymph nodes without involvement of N1 lymph nodes) was determined. Patient and tumor characteristics were assessed to ascertain whether certain factors were likely to predict this noncontiguous pattern of lymph node spread. RESULTS: During the 4-year period of study, 336 patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma were managed with surgical resection alone. Of the 336, 100 had no involvement of lymph nodes, 108 had involvement of N1 lymph nodes only, 76 had involvement of N1 and N2 lymph nodes, and 52 had involvement of N2 lymph nodes only. Therefore, 52 of all 336 patients (15%) and 52 of 236 patients with lymph node involvement (22%) had noncontiguous lymph node spread. A review of the initial patient and tumor characteristics revealed that patients with a suggestion of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes on preoperative computed tomography scans of the chest (compared with negative findings) and patients with T1 and T2 lesions (compared with T3 and T4) were more likely to have noncontiguous lymph node spread; the odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) were 2.18 (1.01-4.71) and 2.82 (1.36-5.84), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Noncontiguous involvement of thoracic lymph nodes occurred in approximately 15% of patients who had complete surgical resection of nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. This factor suggests that lack of involvement of N1 lymph nodes does not rule out mediastinal involvement and provides important information for complete surgical staging.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗

[Relationship between metastatic rate and amount of lymph nodes and prognosis of gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the relationship between metastatic rate and amount of lymph nodes and prognosis of gastric cancer. METHODS: The clinical data of 672 patients of gastric cancer with 22.7 regional metastatic lymph nodes on average were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the TNM staging system (1997, 5th edition): pN0 (without metastatic lymph node), pN1 group (with 1-6 metastatic lymph nodes), pN2 group (with 7-15 metastatic lymph nodes), and pN3 group (with more than 215 metastatic lymph nodes), or into 4 groups according to the lymph node metastasis rate: rN0 group (without metastasis of lymph node), rN1 group (with a lymph node metastasis rate 0 < 10%), rN2 group (with a lymph node metastasis rate of 10%-30%), and rN3 group with a lymph node metastasis rate > 30%). The 5-year survival rates of different groups in these 2 classification systems and the relationship between metastatic rate and amount of lymph nodes and prognosis of gastric cancer were analyzed. RESULTS: According to the lymph node metastasis grading system there were 93 patients in the pN0 group, 201 in the pN1 group, 108 in the pN2 group, and 32 in the pN3 group with the 5-year survival rates of 90.3%, 65.2%, 37.0%, and 18.9% respectively (chi(2) = 12.56, P < 0.01). According to the lymph node metastasis system 93 patients were in the rN0 group, 183 in the rN1 group, 92 in the rN2 group, and 66 in the rN3 group, with the 5-year survival rates of 90.3%, 69.9%, 45.7%, and 10.6% respectively (chi(2) = 14.38, P < 0.01). If the cases in the same pN group were re-divided according to the lymph node metastasis rate, there were significant differences in the 5-year survival rate among the new rN groups (chi(2) = 5.26, P = 0.21), and there was a great difference in the distribution of prognosis among different groups. However, if the cases in the same group rN group were re-divided according to the amounts of metastatic lymph nodes, there was no significant difference in 5-year survival rate among different new pN groups (chi(2) = 0.14, P = 0.932). Multivariate COX model analysis showed that the influencing factors of the prognosis were rN grading, pN grading, infiltration depth of cancer, gross type, and size of the cancer, arranged according to the degree of closeness (P < 0.05); lymph nose metastasis rate was closely related with the size, infiltration depth, and gross type of the cancer (P < 0.05). In the same metastasis rate, the 5-year survivals rate decreased along with the increase of the amount of metastatic lymph nodes, and vice versa (chi(2) = 8.22, P = 0.004; chi(2) = 4.52, P = 0.033). CONCLUSION: The staging system based on metastatic lymph node rate is more predictable the number of metastatic lymph nodes for the prognosis of gastric cancer.

Adult↗

Defective polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis in homosexual men with persistent lymph node syndrome.

Persistent lymph node syndrome, epidemiologically related to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is characterized by reactive lymphadenopathy and an increased incidence of localized bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Seven typical patients were found to have a localized infection every 4.5 +/- 2.0 months (mean +/- SD) since onset of adenopathy. Because recurrent bacterial infections may be associated with defective polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) function, studies of PMNL function in these patients were undertaken. The patients' PMNLs had diminished chemotactic responses to high concentrations of two structurally distinct chemotactic factors, leukotriene B4 and N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine. The patients' PMNLs also had deficient degranulating responses to the former but not to the latter. Diminished PMNL function may contribute to the observed increased incidence of localized infections, which are a major source of morbidity, in these patients.

Adult↗

2-Chloro-deoxyadenosine therapy for giant lymph node hyperplasia.

Giant lymph node hyperplasia (GLNH) or Castleman disease is a heterogenous group of atypical lymphoproliferative disorders. Two main histologic variants, the hyaline vascular variant and the plasma cell variant, have been recognized. Although localized GLNH can often be managed successfully with surgery, optimal therapy for multifocal disease has yet to be identified. We report two cases of GLNH treated with 2-chloro-deoxyadenosine (2-CDA), a synthetic purine analogue. 2-CDA was utilized based on its relative lymphocytic toxicity and the putative pathophysiologic process in GLNH being either hamartomatous overgrowth (hyaline-vascular variant) or immune dysfunction and lymphoproliferation (plasma cell variant). One patient with unresectable localized hyaline-vascular GLNH has had a 9-month continuous complete remission following two courses of 2-CDA therapy followed by radiation therapy. The second patient with disseminated plasma cell type had a partial response to two cycles of 2-CDA therapy; however, further cycles were not given due to development of possible early neurotoxicity. Although the optimal management of non-resectable GLNH is yet to be determined, 2-CDA appears to be a viable therapeutic option for patients with this disease process.

Adult↗

The clinical and imaging spectrum of pancreaticoduodenal lymph node enlargement.

Pancreaticoduodenal lymph node enlargement, regardless of cause, has been a source of imaging confusion because of its propensity to mimic pancreatic malignancy yet not cause biliary obstruction. Thirty-eight patients with pancreaticoduodenal adenopathy were imaged with several methods. Pancreaticoduodenal lymphadenopathy could be distinguished from intrinsic pancreatic abnormality on only 44% (14/32) of CT scans and 54% (6/11) of sonograms. Demonstration of intact tissue planes separating adenopathy from pancreas and, to a lesser degree, extrapancreatic vascular displacement were the most helpful diagnostic signs. Surprisingly, 31% of patients had biliary obstruction. Care must be taken in distinguishing metastatic lymphadenopathy from primary pancreatic tumors. The presence or absence of jaundice should not be considered a helpful sign.

Adult↗

Hypertension and nephritic urine sediment following retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.

Retroperitonela lymph node dissection (RPLND), cisplatin-based chemotherapy, and tumor surveillance has dramatically improved survival of patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors. Complications, including renal vascular injuries, have been encountered with post-chemotherapy RPLND. We report on a patient with delayed renovascular hypertension and nephritic sediment following RPLND. A thirty year old man presented with well-controlled hypertension following treatment of a left testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumor 11 years earlier. Post-orchiectomy investigation revealed retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy which was treated with cispaltin-based chemotherapy. A residual mass was managed surgically and during perihilar dissection, the left renal vein was injured and repaired. Current investigation revealed hypertension and a nephritic urine sediment, both of which resolved with left simple nephrectomy. We believe that inadvertent renal artery injury was responsible for this late complication.

Journal Article↗

What to do if the lymph nodes are positive.

Lymph node metastases are common in patients with advanced bladder cancer. Survival rates have apparently improved from about 15% to 30% as management evolved from lymphadenectomy plus cystectomy to multimodal therapy, but investigators have not conclusively shown the benefit of adjuvant irradiation and/or chemotherapy. If clinical staging indicates nodal metastases, we recommend primary multiagent chemotherapy with subsequent exploratory laparotomy, lymphadenectomy, and possibly cystectomy for complete responders. Patients without clinical evidence of metastases undergo complete bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy plus cystectomy if nodes are normal, or if grossly abnormal but resectable. Patients with nodal metastases may be candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

Number and size of perigastric lymph nodes in human adults without gastric cancer.

For classification of perigastric lymph node metastases in gastric cancer, only topographical aspects are taken into consideration at present. As a numerical classification for lymph node metastases was proposed recently, the current problem is that of determining the number of dissectable perigastric lymph nodes and also assessing the quality of nodal dissection. The perigastric lymph nodes of 10 adults without gastric disease were therefore evaluated microscopically by a serial section technique. On average a total of 36.2 +/- 15.2 perigastric lymph nodes were found, e.g. 14.9 +/- 14.1 lymph nodes on the greater and 7.4 +/- 4.8 on the lesser curvature. These figures are similar to those in fetuses and newborn infants, but they exceed the numbers of perigastric lymph nodes reported in the literature for adults with or without gastric cancer. This difference could be attributable to our use of the serial section technique, because the so-called "micro-lymph nodes" with a diameter of less than 1.5 mm are consequently included in this study. Our results support the assumption, that pathologic processes do not result in any real increase of regional lymph nodes, but in an activation and enlargement of fetal lymph node reserve.

Adipose Tissue↗

3D ultrasound examination of the superficial lymph nodes--does it provide additional information?

PURPOSE: To compare the appearance of superficial lymph nodes on standard two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound examination and on three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty two lymph nodes (35 cervical, 16 axillary, 1 inguinal) in 52 patients were examined with ultrasound in 3D mode. In standard 2D grey-scale examination and on a C-plane of 3D mode (parallel to the surface of the probe), the shape of a lymph node and its hilum were assessed. Final histopathological diagnoses included 36 lymphomas, 11 reactive or inflammatory lymph nodes, 3 metastases and 2 plasmocytoma infiltrations. RESULTS: The appearance of hilums and lymph nodes as a whole changed on a C-plane of 3D mode (as compared with 2D presentation) in 28 % and 37 %, respectively. The differences in lymph node shape on 2D and 3D ultrasound were apparent in a comparable percentage of reactive lymph nodes (45 %) and lymphomatous lymph nodes (39 %). The differences in lymph node hilum shape on 2D and 3D ultrasound applied to 56 % of reactive lymph nodes and 20 % of lymphomatous lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional imaging on a C-plane (parallel to the surface of the probe) may supply the examiner with different information concerning the shape of the lymph node and its hilum in comparison to standard 2D ultrasound. Changes in the shapes of hilum and lymph node occurred in reactive or inflamed lymph nodes as well as in lymphomas. Clinical significance of this fact demands further investigation.

Humans↗

In vitro diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer by spectrum analysis of radio frequency echo signals.

Axillary lymph node status is of particular importance for staging and managing breast cancer. Currently, axillary lymph node dissection is performed routinely in cases of invasive breast cancer because of the lack of accurate noninvasive methods for diagnosing lymph node metastasis. We investigated the diagnostic ability of ultrasonic tissue characterization based on spectrum analysis of backscattered echo signals to detect axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer in vitro compared with in vitro B-mode imaging. Immediately after surgery, individual lymph nodes were isolated from axillary tissue. Each lymph node was scanned in a water bath using a 10-MHz instrument, and radio frequency data and B-mode images were acquired. Spectral parameter values were calculated, and discriminant analysis was performed to classify metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes. Forty histologically characterized axillary lymph nodes were enrolled in this study, including 25 nonmetastatic and 15 metastatic lymph nodes. A significant difference existed in the spectral parameter values (slope and intercept) for metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes. Spectral parameter-based discriminant function classification of metastatic vs. nonmetastatic lymph nodes provided a sensitivity of 93.3%, specificity of 92.0%, and overall accuracy of 92.5%. In comparison, B-mode ultrasound images of in vitro lymph nodes provided a sensitivity of 73.3%, specificity of 84.0%, and overall accuracy of 80.0%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis comparing the efficacy of both methods gave an ROC curve area of 0.9888 for spectral methods, which was greater than the area of 0.8980 for B-mode ultrasound. Hence, this in vitro study suggests that the diagnostic ability of spectrum analysis may prove to be markedly superior to that of B-mode ultrasound in detecting axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer. Because of these encouraging results, we intend to conduct an investigation of the ability of spectral methods to classify metastatic axillary lymph nodes in vivo.

Adult↗

Detection of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy as a means of evaluating the cervical lymph nodes of patients with papillary thyroid cancer. METHODS: Isosulfan blue dye was injected around the tumour of 68 patients with papillary thyroid cancer; sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in addition to subtotal thyroidectomy and central and modified lateral neck lymph node dissections. Surgical specimens were examined by routine processing to determine whether metastasis was present. RESULTS: Sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 63 (92.6%) of the 68 patients. There was concordance between the sentinel lymph node status and the final regional lymph node status in 58 (92.1%) of the 63 patients. There were five false-negative cases. Sentinel lymph node biopsy had a sensitivity of 87.5% (35/40), specificity of 100% (23/23), positive predictive value of 100% (35/35), negative predictive value of 82.1% (23/28), and accuracy of 92.1% (58/63). CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node biopsy may allow discrimination between patients with true lymph-node-negative papillary thyroid carcinoma and those with non-palpable metastatic lymph nodes. It may also be helpful in diagnosing metastases and avoiding unnecessary lymph node dissection in thyroid cancer.

Adult↗

Should laparoscopy be the standard approach used for pelvic lymph node dissection?

Involvement of the pelvic lymph nodes in patients with prostate cancer worsens the overall prognosis of this common disease entity. Prior radiographic staging techniques, including fine-needle aspiration, are limited by a poor sensitivity and are not reliable. The gold standard for the evaluation of pelvic lymph nodes in men with prostate cancer involves performing a lymphadenectomy. Historically, this procedure was performed using an open surgical technique. Unfortunately, this invasive procedure is associated with significant morbidity. In response, modern surgical technology has provided newer, less invasive techniques, including laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy (LPLND). Improved detection of localized prostate cancer through the institution of screening protocols and early detection programs has decreased the number of patients presenting with lymph node involvement. Various clinical indicators, including prostate-specific antigen, grade, and stage, have been used to improve the selection of "high-risk" patients that are appropriate candidates for pelvic lymph node dissection. The technique of LPLND is a valid option in the armamentarium for staging of prostate cancer. The laparoscopic approach provides the same staging accuracy as the open surgical technique and is superior with respect to morbidity. LPLND is limited to patients who present with a high risk of advanced prostate cancer. In addition, the urologist must accept the additional training, financial expense, and "learning curve" associated with this technique.

Humans↗

[Sentinel lymph node dissection in prostate cancer. Experience after more than 800 interventions].

There is no consensus on which prostate cancer patients should undergo lymph node removal and which lymph nodes should be included. Therefore, most clinicians rely on nomograms and dispense with lymph node dissection in patients with low-risk disease. Meanwhile, there are some studies which prove that there are also lymph node metastases in patients with low-risk prostate cancer and that lymph node metastases are predominantly localized outside the region of standard lymphadenectomy. In more than 800 men we could show that lymph node metastases were found more often than shown in the Partin tables. These lymph node metastases were detected by sentinel lymph node dissection outside the region of standard and extended lymphadenectomy. Because of insufficient preoperative diagnostics it is unclear which patients have positive lymph nodes. Therefore, it is useful to perform lymph node dissection in every patient. Men with positive nodes could have a better prognosis, when sentinel and extended lymph node dissection are performed.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Intrapulmonary lymph nodes.

We report two cases of intrapulmonary lymph nodes detected by a chest roentgenogram or CT scan. The first patient was a 61-year-old fisherman referred complaining of cough and hemosputum. Chest roentgenogram showed a subpleural small nodular shadow at the superior segment of the right lower lobe. Thoracotomy showed a small anthracotic lymph node. The other case was a 68-year-old female patient admitted for further examination of a subpleural small nodular shadow at the latero-basal segment of the left lower lobe detected on a chest CT scan. Thoracoscopic surgery revealed that the black nodule was an anthracotic lymph node. The appearance of an intrapulmonary lymph node on radiological examination is rare, however, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a solitary or multiple peripheral pulmonary nodules in adults. A small nodular shadow should be resected if malignancy is suspected though not proven. Subpleural intrapulmonary lymph node warrants thoracoscopic surgery.

Aged↗