Background and Objectives
Ileal neuroendocrine tumors (i‐NETs) frequently metastasize to mesenteric lymph nodes and the liver. Regional lymphadenopathy is associated with desmoplasia of the mesentery forming a large mesenteric mass (LMM). Although the latest American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging (8th edition) defined LMM >2 cm as N2, the prognostic impact of LMM is ill‐defined. We evaluated whether LMM is prognostic for patients with i‐NETs.
Methods
This single‐institution, retrospective cohort study included 106 patients who underwent resection of i‐NETs between 2007 and 2018. Overall survival (OS) and liver progression‐free survival (LPFS) were compared between patients with and without LMM.
Results
LMM was present in 66 patients (62%) and was not associated with the presence or absence of liver metastasis (P = .969) or the extent of liver involvement (P = .938). OS and LPFS differed significantly between patients with and without LMM (5‐year OS rates of 64.8% and 92.9%, respectively, P = .011; 3‐year LPFS rates of 45.3% and 67.5%, respectively, P = .025). In multivariate analysis, LMM was an independent prognostic factor for both OS (hazard ratio: 4.69, 95% confidence interval: 1.63‐17.6) and LPFS (1.99, 1.08‐3.88).
Conclusion
LMM >2 cm is prognostic for OS and LPFS and represents aggressive tumor biology.