Para-aortic lymph node involvement should not be a contraindication to resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Table 1 Patient demographics, operative and pathological characteristics and outcomes

Factors	Total (n = 81)	PALN+ (n = 17)	PALN- (n = 64)	P value
Demographics
Age (median and range in years)	69 (43-84)	68.8 (61-72.3)	69 (61-75)	0.404
Gender, male (%)	38 (47)	12 (71)	33 (52)	0.171
BMI (kg/m2)	25.1 (22.0-27.8)	26.2 (22.2-27.8)	24.9 (21.9-27.7)	0.413
Non-smoker (%)	13 (73)	14 (82)	46 (72)	0.462
Preoperative CA19-9 levels (KU/L)	286 (2-36000)	410 (14-2784)	252 (2-36000)	0.594
Charlson comorbidity index	4 (3-5)	4 (3-5)	4.5 (3-5)	0.079
Preoperative radiological stage n (%)
Resectable	41 (51)	8 (47)	33 (52)	0.601
Borderline resectable	31 (38)	8(47)	23 (36)
Locally advanced	9 (11)	1 (6)	8 (12)
Operation, n (%)
Distal pancreatectomy	1 (1)	0	1 (1)	0.681
Total pancreatectomy	14 (17)	2 (12)	12 (19)
Pancreaticoduodenectomy	66 (82)	15 (88)	51 (80)
Vein resection	33 (41)	7 (41)	26 (41)	0.310
Arterial resection	3 (4)	1 (6)	2 (3)	0.842
Pathological staging, n (%)				1.000
pT1	13 (16)	3 (18)	10 (16)	0.951
pT2	46 (57)	9 (53)	37 (58)
pT3	21 (26)	5 (29)	16 (25)
pT4	1 (1)	0	1 (1)
pN0	14 (79)	0	14 (22)	0.005
pN1	24 (30)	3 (18)	21 (33)
pN2	43 (53)	14 (82)	29 (45)
Resection margin, n (%)
Negative	39 (48)	6 (35)	33 (52)	0.282
Positive	42 (52)	11 (65)	31 (48)
Perineural invasion	66 (83)	15 (88)	51 (80)	0.722
Perivascular invasion	59 (73)	13 (77)	46 (72)	1.000
Chemotherapy, n (%)	55 (74)	12 (71)	43 (67)	0.746
Neoadjuvant therapy	13 (16)	2 (12)	11 (17)	0.726
Adjuvant chemotherapy	49 (66)	12 (71)	37 (58)	0.553
Post-operative complications, n (%)
Clavien Dindo category ≥ 3	10 (12)	2 (11.8)	8 (12.5)	0.549
Chyle leak	1 (1)	0	1 (1.56)	0.835
Perioperative haemorrhage	2 (2)	0	2 (3.13)	0.712
Comprehensive complication index	0 (0-20.9)	0 (0-20.9)	0 (0-20.9)	0.083
Hospital length of stay (median and range in days)	9 (1-76)	8 (5-30)	10 (1-76)	0.138

BMI: Body mass index; PALN: Para-aortic lymph nodes.