Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Apr 2022)

Breast Cancer Patients With Positive Apical or Infraclavicular/Ipsilateral Supraclavicular Lymph Nodes Should Be Excluded in the Application of the Lymph Node Ratio System

  • Zhe Wang,
  • Zhe Wang,
  • Zhe Wang,
  • Zhe Wang,
  • Wei Chong,
  • Wei Chong,
  • Wei Chong,
  • Wei Chong,
  • Huikun Zhang,
  • Huikun Zhang,
  • Huikun Zhang,
  • Huikun Zhang,
  • Xiaoli Liu,
  • Xiaoli Liu,
  • Xiaoli Liu,
  • Xiaoli Liu,
  • Yawen Zhao,
  • Yawen Zhao,
  • Yawen Zhao,
  • Yawen Zhao,
  • Zhifang Guo,
  • Zhifang Guo,
  • Zhifang Guo,
  • Zhifang Guo,
  • Li Fu,
  • Li Fu,
  • Li Fu,
  • Li Fu,
  • Yongjie Ma,
  • Yongjie Ma,
  • Yongjie Ma,
  • Yongjie Ma,
  • Feng Gu,
  • Feng Gu,
  • Feng Gu,
  • Feng Gu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.784920
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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Aim: Increasing studies have demonstrated lymph node ratio (LNR) to be an accurate prognostic indicator in breast cancer and an alternative to pN staging; however, the AJCC-TNM staging system classified apical or infraclavicular/ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node-positive (APN(+)) patients with a worse prognosis as the pN3 stage. Until now, different reports on LNR in breast cancer have ignored this possibility. Consequently, it is necessary to discuss the role of APN(+) patients in the LNR system to obtain a precise LNR that predicts the prognosis accurately.Materials and Methods: We collected data on 10,120 breast cancer patients, including 3,936 lymph node-positive patients (3,283 APN(−) and 653 APN(+) patients), who visited our hospital from 2007 to 2012. Then we applied X-tile analysis to calculate cut-off values and conduct survival analysis and multivariate analysis to evaluate patients’ prognosis.Results: We confirmed that some APN(+) patients were mis-subgrouped according to previously reported LNR, indicating that APN(+) patients should be excluded in the application of LNR to predict prognosis. Then we applied X-tile analysis to calculate two cut-off values (0.15 and 0.34) for LNR-APN(−) patients and conducted survival analysis and found that LNR-APN(−) staging was superior to pN staging in predicting the prognosis of APN(−) breast cancer patients.Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that excluding APN(+) patients is the most necessary condition for effective implementation of the LNR system. LNR-APN(−) staging could be a more comprehensive approach in predicting prognosis and guiding clinicians to provide accurate and appropriate treatment.

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