A simple nomogram for predicting occult lymph node metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer from preoperative computed tomography findings, including the volume-doubling time.

Purpose: Latent lymph node metastasis is a clinical concern in the surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study identified a simple tool, including the volume-doubling time (VDT), for evaluating the risk of nodal metastasis.

Methods: We reviewed, retrospectively, 560 patients who underwent radical resection for cN0M0 NSCLC. The whole tumor VDT and solid component VDT (SVDT) for differentiating the histological type and adenocarcinoma subtype were analyzed and a nomogram was constructed using variables selected through a stepwise selection method. The model was assessed through a calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results: Lymph node metastases were detected in 89 patients (15.9%). The SVDT tended to be longer in patients with adenocarcinoma (294.5 days, p < 0.0001) than in those with other histological types of NSCLC, but was shorter when the solid/micropapillary component was predominant (127.0 days, p < 0.0001). The selected variables (tumor location, solid component diameter, consolidation tumor ratio, SVDT, and carcinoembryonic antigen) demonstrated significant differences and were used for the nomogram. The calibration curve indicated consistency, and the DCA showed validity across most threshold ranges from 0 to 68%.

Conclusions: The established nomogram is a useful tool for the preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis, and the SVDT was the most influential factor in the nomogram.