Table 4. Prognosis performance of lymph nodes staging based on evaluation by C-index and AIC.

	Non-radiation cohorts												RPS
	General			TNLE <12			12< TNLE <25			TNLE >25			General			TNLE <12			12< TNLE <25			TNLE >25
	C-index	AIC		C-index	AIC		C-index	AIC		C-index	AIC		C-index	AIC		C-index	AIC		C-index	AIC		C-index	AIC
Continuous variables
LNR	0.5903	3,680.601		0.5574	1,060.943		0.6081	1,696.71		0.6009	416.3431		0.5809	1,060.083		0.5688	481.211		0.6001	390.145		0.5407	43.2119
LODDS	0.5971	3,680.017		0.5654	1,060.202		0.6084	1,697.307		0.6005	417.0892		0.5912	1,058.765		0.5777	480.743		0.6039	389.544		0.5349	43.536
N-score	0.4918	3,705.123		0.5190	1,065.144		0.4929	1,710.872		0.5609	419.3464		0.4954	1,068.141		0.5159	483.730		0.4975	394.698		0.5843	43.487
Categorical variables
AJCC/UICC 8th Edition	0.5643	3,692.224		0.5400	1,063.164		0.5997	1,698.015		0.5723	419.7306		0.5688	1,062.943		0.5678	481.940		0.5933	390.395		0.5513	44.311
LNR	0.5686	3,687.317		0.5447	1,060.203		0.5751	1,701.111		0.5807	417.88023		0.5644	1,061.763		0.5558	481.660		0.5699	391.619		0.5704	43.351
LODDS	0.5756	3,686.433		0.5419	1,062.535		0.5869	1,700.172		0.5830	418.2158		0.5700	1,061.703		0.5575	481.895		0.5768	391.603		0.5715	43.548
N-score	0.5107	3,704.488		0.5361	1,063.269		0.5263	1,709.71		0.5773	417.9618		0.5108	1,067.837		0.5472	482.481		0.5125	394.664		0.5663	43.731

RPS, radiation-prior-to-surgery cohorts.