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Prognostic value of metastatic lymph node ratio and its effect on disease-free survival in colon cancer

  • 0Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Hitit University, Çorum, Türkiye.
Frontiers in Oncology +

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September 12, 2025

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September 12, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The metastatic lymph node ratio (MLNR) is a significant prognostic factor in colon cancer (CC), predicting recurrence and survival. This indicator offers additional value beyond TNM staging for personalized treatment decisions.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Cancer Prognostics

Background

  • The metastatic lymph node ratio (MLNR) is a proposed prognostic indicator for colon cancer (CC).
  • Its prognostic relevance for disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and recurrence requires further assessment.
  • Comparison with traditional parameters like TNM staging and total lymph node count (TNLC) is needed.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To evaluate the prognostic significance of MLNR in colon cancer.
  • To investigate the association of MLNR with DFS, OS, and recurrence.
  • To compare the predictive value of MLNR against TNM classification and TNLC.

Main Methods

  • Retrospective, single-center study of 122 colon cancer patients undergoing surgical resection.
  • Analysis of survival outcomes using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate logistic regression.
  • Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine optimal MLNR cut-off for recurrence prediction.

Main Results

  • MLNR >0.125 significantly increased recurrence risk (HR: 7.0, p<0.001) and reduced DFS.
  • MLNR emerged as an independent prognostic factor, outperforming TNLC for DFS and OS prediction.
  • Adjuvant chemotherapy reduced recurrence risk (Exp(B):0.234, p=0.038); emergency surgery correlated with poorer survival (p=0.023).

Conclusions

  • MLNR provides additional prognostic information to TNM staging in colon cancer.
  • MLNR may aid in individualized risk stratification and adjuvant therapy decisions.
  • Further prospective studies are needed to validate MLNR thresholds for clinical application.

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