Every Lymph Node Matters
“The number of nodes removed and retrieved from an operative specimen has been reported to correlate with improved survival. “
− American Joint Committee on Cancer, the gold standard for cancer staging
Due to clear survival benefit correlation, medical authorities, such as AJCC, NCCN, ASCO, require at least 12 lymph nodes to be examined for colorectal cancer cases.
The required number of 12, was chosen due to practical difficulties in lymph node searches.
Survival data suggest a correlation far beyond 24, according to AJCC data.
Theoretically, an even higher lymph node count requirement can potentially further maximize patient survival benefits. [1]
Although all pathology practitioners are taught to find ALL lymph nodes, the saddening truth is that most of them stop barely above the required number of 12.[2]
Tremendous patient survival benefits are left untapped, due to the current workflow challenges of lymph node searches.
Missed lymph nodes lead to cancer staging errors and mis-treatment, costing billions of dollars of unnecessary downstream payments.
Lymph nodes are relevant to almost all solid tumours.
In the era of prohibitively high healthcare costs, maximizing survival benefits by finding all the lymph nodes is one of the lowest-hanging fruit to make a big impact in cancer care.
Amin, Mahul B.; Gress, Donna M.; Meyer Vega, Laura R.;
Edge, Stephen B.. AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, Eighth
Edition (p. 278). American College of Surgeons.
2. Original research. Learn More Here.
Amin, Mahul B.; Gress, Donna M.; Meyer Vega, Laura R.;
Edge, Stephen B.. AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, Eighth
Edition (p. 278). American College of Surgeons.
2. Original research. Learn More Here.
