Prognostic Value of Lymph Node Evaluation in Stage II Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma: An Updated Analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database

Zhen Liu; Kun Liu; Jiale Gao; Chao Jing; Yanhong Ma; Shu Zheng; Jianzhen Shan

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.865745

Prognostic Value of Lymph Node Evaluation in Stage II Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma: An Updated Analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database

Front Oncol. 2022 Mar 25:12:865745. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.865745. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zhen Liu^{1

2}, Kun Liu^{3

4

5

6}, Jiale Gao^{3

4

5

6}, Chao Jing^{3

4

5

6}, Yanhong Ma¹, Shu Zheng², Jianzhen Shan¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
² Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory for Cancer Intervention and Prevention, China National Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
³ Department of General Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Clinical Center for Colorectal Cancer, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁵ Beijing Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis Research, Beijing, China.
⁶ National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Background: Due to the lack of large-scale clinical trials, the treatment strategies of small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) are controversial, especially for stage II patients. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline, few lymph nodes (LNs) examined (<5 for duodenum or <8 for jejunal/ileal primary location) are one of the high-risk features for stage II patients, for whom adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended. This consensus is originally drawn from data in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database (SEER) between 1988 and 2010. However, the surgical modalities and chemotherapy strategies changed a lot after 2004 for SBA patients. The previous data may not represent a true picture of current therapeutics. Thus, we reanalyzed the SEER database and updated the cutoff point of LN numbers resected with respect to cancer-specific survival (CSS) using the latest SEER information.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with stage II SBA and who underwent curative surgery between 2004 and 2018 were extracted from the SEER database. CSS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. Maximum survival differences based on total LNs examined for duodenal and jejunoileal tumors were determined separately with the cut-point analysis and maximum log-rank χ² statistic. A nomogram model was constructed based on the multivariate Cox analysis to predict 5- and 10-year CSS and was then validated with an internal cohort.

Results: A total of 935 stage II SBA patients met the inclusion criteria. The greatest difference in survival was found in patients who had removal of at least 5 LNs for duodenal and 12 LNs for jejunoileal tumors. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that age, T stage, histology grade, primary site, and LN numbers were independent prognostic factors for survival. The C index of nomogram model was 0.701 (95% CI, 0.661-0.741, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The number of LNs harvested is an important prognostic factor for survival in stage II SBA patients. LN number examined <5 remains a high-risk factor for duodenum, but the cutoff point for jejunal/ileal tumors should rise from 8 to 12. Appropriate radical lymphadenectomy should be performed in stage II SBA surgery.

Keywords: SEER database; cancer-specific survival; lymph node evaluation; small bowel adenocarcinoma; stage II patient.