Table 4. Pathological characteristics.
| Variables | ≥12 lymph nodes (N=53) (n, %) | <12 lymph nodes (N=38) (n, %) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumor size, cm, mean ± SD | 3.43±1.97 | 3.07±1.59 | 0.35 |
| Distance from anal verge, cm, n (%) | χ2=0.992; P=0.31 | ||
| ≤5 | 28 (52.8) | 23 (60.5) | |
| >5 | 25 (47.2) | 15 (39.5) | |
| ypT stage | χ2=2.089; P=0.71 | ||
| 0 | 20 (37.7) | 16 (42.1) | |
| 1 | 1 (1.8) | 2 (5.2) | |
| 2 | 12 (22.7) | 7 (18.4) | |
| 3 | 18 (34) | 12 (31.7) | |
| 4 | 2 (3.8) | 1 (2.6) | |
| ypN stage | χ2=2.443; P=0.29 | ||
| 0 | 38 (71.7) | 29 (76.3) | |
| 1 | 11 (20.7) | 8 (21.1) | |
| 2 | 4 (7.6) | 1 (2.6) | |
| yp stage | χ2=3.692; P=0.29 | ||
| pCR | 14 (26.4) | 15 (39.4) | χ2=3.833; P=0.05 |
| I | 10 (18.8) | 6 (15.8) | |
| II | 14 (26.4) | 8 (21.1) | |
| III | 15 (28.4) | 9 (23.7) | |
| Tumor differentiation | χ2=4.522; P=0.1 | ||
| Well | 30 (56.6) | 27 (71.1) | |
| Moderate | 13 (24.5) | 7 (18.4) | |
| Poor | 10 (18.9) | 4 (10.5) | |
| Tumor regression grade | χ2=3.837; P=0.05 | ||
| 1, 2, 3 | 33 (62.3) | 27 (71.1) | |
| 4, 5 | 20 (37.7) | 11 (29.9) | |
| Total No. of harvested lymph nodes, median [range] | 16 [12–32] | 9 [2–11] | <0.001 |
| No. of metastatic nodes | 0.52 | ||
| 0 | 38 (71.1) | 29 (76.4) | |
| 1 | 4 (7.5) | 4 (10.5) | |
| 2, 3 | 7 (13.3) | 4 (10.5) | |
| ≥4 | 4 (7.5) | 1 (2.6) | |
| Median LNR (range) | 0.167 (0.09–0.45) | 0.187 (0.05–0.54) | 0.81 |
| CRM | χ2=1.223; P=0.26 | ||
| Positive | 5 (9.4) | 2 (5.2) | |
| Negative (>1 mm) | 48 (90.6) | 36 (94.8) | |
| Lymphocytic infiltration | χ2=0.832; P=0.36 | ||
| Positive | 15 (28.3) | 13 (34.2) | |
| Negative | 38 (71.7) | 25 (65.8) | |
| LVI | χ2=3.702; P=0.54 | ||
| Positive | 11 (20.7) | 4 (10.5) | |
| Negative | 42 (79.3) | 34 (89.5) | |
| Perineural invasion | χ2=0.737; P=0.39 | ||
| Positive | 4 (7.5) | 2 (5.2) | |
| Negative | 49 (92.5) | 36 (94.8) | |
| Distal resection margins, cm, median (range) | 2.4 (0–6.9) | 2.2 (0–5.3) | 0.56 |