Background: Recent evidence suggests that postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (PORT) may enhance survival outcomes in patients with pN2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly when evaluating through examined lymph nodes (ELNs) and lymph node ratio (LNR). This study aims to explore the impact of ELNs and LNR on the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy in pN2 stage NSCLC patients through a multicenter retrospective cohort analysis, providing valuable insights for clinical treatment decisions.

Methods: Data were meticulously extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 17 registry spanning 2015 to 2019. The study specifically targeted pN2 stage NSCLC patients who underwent surgical intervention and lymph node biopsy, involving an analysis of 1,875 patients while excluding those with incomplete data. The impact of PORT on overall survival (OS) was assessed, stratified by ELNs and LNR. Statistical analyses employed X-tile software to categorize LNR into three distinct groups, and Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to evaluate the influence of various factors on OS.

Results: The Cox proportional hazards model revealed a significant survival advantage associated with PORT, demonstrating a 22% higher mortality rate in the non-PORT group [hazard ratio (HR) =1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.46, P=0.03] and up to 31% higher in the fully adjusted model (HR =1.31, 95% CI: 1.09–1.58, P=0.004). PORT notably improved survival in patients with ELNs <10, particularly when LNR ≤0.2 (HR =4.15, P=0.03) and LNR ≥0.53 (HR =1.83, P=0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival curves corroborated these findings.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the number of ELNs and the LNR could serve as valuable criteria for selecting pN2 NSCLC patients who may benefit from PORT. PORT has been linked to improved survival outcomes in pN2 stage NSCLC, with a particular emphasis on its efficacy in patients with ELNs <10 and an LNR of ≤0.2.

Keywords: Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (PORT); examined lymph nodes (ELNs); lymph node ratio (LNR); non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)

New Haven, Conn. — Mutations in BRCA2 — a gene known to repair damaged DNA and suppress tumor formation — can predict an individuals’ predisposition to develop breast cancer, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and other epithelial tumors.

A new study led by scientists at Yale School of Medicine and New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine unveils a previously unknown protective mechanism employed by the gene — and how an existing class of drugs used to treat cancer might be improved.

The study was published March 26 in the journal Nature.

In a prospective cohort study of more than 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Oxford found that individuals who engaged in light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity daily physical activity had a lower risk of cancer than individuals who were more sedentary. The findings, published March 26, 2025, in British Journal of Sports Medicine, are among the first to evaluate the cancer risk reduction associated with light-intensity activities such as doing errands and performing household chores.

Two recent studies by researchers from Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine explore the effect of the pandemic on colorectal cancer screening tests and diagnostic colonoscopies in Central Indiana. The findings of temporary disruption to the former and minimal impact on the latter are similar to findings across the U.S., contributing to the compendium of knowledge on preventive health uptake and subsequent treatment in various populations during the pandemic.