Survival analysis of patients with/without lymph node examination after lung cancer resection.

7054 Background: Lymph node (LN) stage is the major prognostic factor in resectable lung cancer. Yet 16-18% of U.S. lung cancer resections have no examined LN (pNx). These patients are usually treated as though they were node negative, potentially misstating their true stage, prognosis, and benefit from adjuvant therapy. We compared the survival of patients in a Memphis cohort who had pNx to those without metastatic LN after examination of at least 1 LN (pN0). Methods: Retrospective review of all surgical resections in Memphis, TN, from 2004 to 2009, excluding patients with pre-operative therapy. Standard statistical methods were used for group comparisons. Results: Of 872 eligible patients, 12% were pNx. Group characteristics are compared in the table. Only 15% of the pN0 group had more than 10 LN examined. 5-year survival rates (pN0 v pNx) were: 56% v 41% (whole group); 64% v 47% (T1); 53% v 0% (T2); (p<0.05 for all comparisons). In multivariate analysis adjusting for type of resection, histology, and T...