Table 4.

χ² test of independence of LVI and systemic metastasis among RLN-negative and RLN-positive patients

RLN-negative patients		Systemic metastasis
		No	Yes
LVI	No	2185 (95%)	116 (5%)	p value
	Yes	190 (92%)	17 (8%)	0.051
RLN-positive patients		Systemic metastasis
		No	Yes
LVI	No	400 (86%)	65 (14%)	p value
	Yes	200 (79%)	52 (21%)	0.021

There was no significant association between LVI and Smets for RLN-negative patients (p = 0.051). There was a significant association between LVI and Smets for RLN-positive patients (p = 0.021)

LVI lymphovascular invasion; RLN regional lymph node