CHARACTERISTICS OF LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER UNDERGOING LOBECTOMY AND SYSTEMIC LYMPH NODE DISSECTION AT HANOI ONCOLOGY HOSPITAL
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Abstract
Objective: To evaluate characteristics of lymph node metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent surgery.
Methods: Retrospective study on patients with stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer who underwent lobectomy and lymph node dissection at Hanoi Oncology Hospital from September 2023 to September 2025.
Results: There were 144 patients enrolled in the study. The incidence of lung cancer increased with age, with a mean age of 57 ± 11.08 (35-79). The male/female ratio was nearly equal. Right-sided lung tumors were more common than left-sided tumors; most of these tumors were ≤3 cm with spiculated margins. The majority of patients were in stages I and II, accounting for 96.5%. Thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 95.8% of patients. The average number of lymph nodes dissected per patient was 11.32 ± 4.58. The rate of lymph node metastasis was 33.6%, in which N1 metastasis accounted for 27.6% and N2 metastasis for 6%. Lymph node metastasis was positively correlated with lymph node size and primary tumor size; the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of lymph node metastasis according to factors such as primary tumor location, pleural invasion, and histopathological type.
Conclusion: Lymph node metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer accounted for 33.6%, including N1 metastasis in 27.6% and N2 metastasis in 6%. The likelihood of lymph node metastasis increased in proportion to lymph node size and primary tumor size. There was no difference in the rate of lymph node metastasis according to factors such as primary tumor location, pleural invasion, and histopathological type.
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Keywords
NSCLC, lobectomy, lymph node dissection, lymph node metastasis.
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