Prognostic impact of nodal statuses in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background The present study aimed to clarify the prognostic impact of nodal statuses in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after potentially curative pancreatectomy. Methods In 110 patients with >10 examined lymph nodes (ELNs), we investigated how nodal statuses were associated with postoperative survival. Nodal statuses included the number of positive LNs (PLNs); the ratio of PLNs to ELNs (lymph node ratio; LNR); and the location of regional LN metastases, classified as group one (peripancreatic area) and group 2 (outside the peripancreatic area). The maximum χ2 value, provided by a Cox proportional hazards model, was used to determine the optimal cutoff value for the number of PLNs and the LNR. Results The median numbers of ELNs and metastatic LNs were 33 and 2, respectively. Median survival was longer in patients with ≤3 PLNs (37.5 months), LNR