Number of micrometastases in axillary lymph nodes associated with rate of postoperative recurrence in stage II bowel cancer
Under the leadership of MORI Masaki , Professor, and YAMAMOTO Hirofumi , Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, a group of researchers have shown from data gathered from approximately 300 highly reliable prospective clinical trials that the number of micrometastases in axillary lymph nodes is associated with the rate of postoperative recurrence in stage II bowel cancer. Patients with a larger percentage of micrometastases in the lymph nodes in stage II bowel cancer were shown to have a higher risk of recurrence.
This type and number of clinical trials are impossible to obtain at other medical institutions due to a shortage of hands, the time involved, and the difficulty in gaining reliable test results from RNA due to its instability. Osaka University and associated institutions completed the clinical trials and obtained their data after 10 years of hard work.
This group clarified that ratio of cancer cells in an axillary lymph node provides an indication of the level of the need for taking preventive measures against a recurrence. It is expected that molecular diagnosis will be able to identify patients who are likely to experience a relapse, thereby making it possible to implement appropriate preventive measures.
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