Large variation between hospitals and pathology laboratories in lymph node evaluation in colon cancer and its impact on survival, a nationwide population-based study in The Netherlands

Background: Adequate lymph node (LN) evaluation is important for planning treatment in patients with colon cancer. Aims of this study were to identify factors associated with adequate nodal examination and to determine its relationship with stage distribution and survival. Patients and methods: Data from patients with colon carcinoma stages I–III who underwent surgical treatment and diagnosed in the period 2000–2006 were retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Multilevel logistic analysis was carried out to examine the influence of relevant factors on the number of evaluated LNs. The r... Mehr ...