The assessment of the optimal number of examined lymph nodes and prognostic models based on lymph nodes for predicting survival outcome in patients with stage N3b gastric cancer

Abstract

The optimal number of ELN may be 27 or more because LNs retrieved ≤26 was an independent risk factor for the prognosis. The prognostic prediction efficacy of LNR and LODDS was similar and better than that of ELN. Thus, LNR and LODDS could both serve as valid tools to predict OS for stage N3b patients.