The clinical significance assessment of the transverse lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer: The establishment and validation of nomogram from a single clinical medical center.

[BACKGROUND] Lymph node metastasis is an important route for gastric cancer metastasis. The clinical significance of transverse lymph node metastasis (TLNM) is still unclear.

[AIMS] This study investigates effects of TLNM on the prognosis of GC patients and establishes two nomograms for evaluating the prognosis of GC patients and for predicting the risk clinicopathological factors to TLNM based on a Chinese medical database.

[METHODS] A total of 902 GC patients with lymph node metastasis (LNM) who underwent R0 gastrectomy was included in this study. According to results of Cox proportional hazards analyses and logistic regression analyses, the prognostic and the predictive nomograms were established and validated.

[RESULTS] The overall survival of patients with TLNM was significantly worse than those without TLNM (P < 0.001) and similar to patients with extra-gastric LNM (P > 0.05). TLNM independently influenced prognosis of GC patients. Prognostic and predictive nomograms were established and validated. Both nomograms were proven that have high accuracy by calculating each AUC (Area Under Cure) value. Calibration curves aligned well with actual outcomes. DCA (Decision Curve Analyses) analyses indicated the high clinical utility.

[CONCLUSION] These nomograms offer precise survival and TLNM occurrence predictions, which may aid clinical decisions.