Impact of lymph node micrometastasis in hilar bile duct carcinoma patients

Table 1 Clinicopathological factors and VEGF-C expression

		VEGF-C expression
		Positive (n = 16)	Negative (n = 18)	P Value
Age		64.7 ± 11.6	64.1 ± 10.8	0.870
Gender ( M / F )		10 / 6	11 / 17	0.999
pT classification1	pT1	1	4	0.56
	pT2	8	11
	pT3	7	3
Histopathological Grading1	G1	10	15	0.225
	G2	6	2
	G3	0	1
Lymphatic vessel invasion	(presence)	14 (87.5 %)	13 (72.2 %)	0.405
Venous invasion	(presence)	10 (62.5 %)	4 (22.2 %)	0.035
Perineural invasion	(presence)	14 (87.5 %)	10 (55.6 %)	0.063
Lymph nodes metastasis	Metastasis (-)	6	13	0.042
	Metastasis (+)	10	5
	(including micrometastasis)

¹According to the TNM staging system. pT classification: pT1: Tumor confined the bile duct; pT2: Tumor invades beyond the wall of the bile duct; pT3: Tumor invades the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and/or unilateral tributaries of the portal vein (right or left) or hepatic artery (right or left); pT4: Tumor invades any of follwing: main portalvein or its tributaries bilatellary, common hepatic artery, or other adjacent structures, e.g., colon, stomach, duodenum, abdominal wall. Histopathological Grading: G1: Well differentiated; G2: Moderately differentiated; G3: Poorly differentiated.