Lymph node evaluation as a predictor of survival after resection for colorectal cancer

摘要

We thank Drs Pappalardo and Nunziale for their review of our article on the potential use of lymph node counts as an indicator of quality at the hospital level. In their letter, the authors reinforce the association of lymph node counts and survival in patients with colorectal cancer, which we and others have previously demonstrated. Drs Pappalardo and Nunziale suggest that our results contrast with those from these earlier reports. It should be re-emphasized that our intent was not to re-examine whether lymph node counts affect survival in patients with NO, Nl, or N2 disease, but rather, to examine whether the median number of nodes examined at the hospital level was associated with improved staging and outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer cared for within that hospital, so therefore might be a useful quality indicator.