Preoperative risk factors for para-aortic lymph node positivity in pancreatic cancer

This study aimed to identify the preoperative risk factors for para-aortic lymph node (PALN) positivity, including micrometastasis, in pancreatic cancer.

Medical records of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative resection were retrospectively reviewed, and the relationships between preoperative risk factors and PALN positivity were identified. Clinicopathological and prognostic factors for overall survival were analyzed. Micrometastasis was investigated by immunohistochemistry.

400 patients were enrolled. PALN positivity by hematoxylin and eosin staining, micrometastasis, and negative were found in 46 (11%), 32 (8%), and 322 (81%) patients, respectively. The median overall survival times of patients with PALN positivity, including micrometastasis, was 22.5 months. Multivariate logistic regression identified borderline or locally advanced status (p=0.037), elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level (p<0.001), larger tumor size ≥30 mm (p=0.001) and larger PALN size ≥10 mm (p=0.019) as independent preoperative risk factors of PALN positivity. Multivariate overall survival analysis demonstrated borderline or locally advanced status (p=0.013), elevated preoperative CA19-9 level (p<0.001) and PALN positivity (p=0.048) were independent poor prognostic factors.

Borderline or locally advanced status, elevated preoperative CA19-9 level, and larger tumor and PALN size were risk factors for PALN positivity, and thus, they may contribute to the optimization of preoperative treatments for patients with potential PALN positivity.