Table 1 Clinical characteristics of 114 patients with pathological stage N2 rectal cancer

Sex

0.426

 Men

47 (66.2)

26 (60.5)

 Women

24 (33.8)

17 (39.5)

Age(years)

0. 261

 Median

54

52

 Range

32-73

23-70

0.773

  ≤ 5 cm

25 (35.2)

11 (25.6)

  > 5 cm

46 (64.8)

32 (74.4)

Karnofsky Performance Score

0.464

  ≥ 90

36 (50.7)

25 (58.1)

 <90

35 (49.3)

18 (41.9)

pT category

0.062

 T2

4 (5.6)

3 (7.0)

 T3

64 (90.1)

32 (74.4)

 T4

3 (4.2)

8 (18.6)

TNM stage

0.049

 IIIB

40 (56.3)

15 (34.9)

 IIIC

31 (43.7)

28 (65.1)

Surgery

0.438

 Low anterior resection

54 (76.1)

35 (81.4)

 Abdominoperineal resection

17 (23.9)

7 (16.3)

 Hartmann

0 (0.0)

1 (2.3)

Lymphovascular invasion

0.125

 Yes

15 (21.1)

13 (30.2)

 No

56 (78.9)

30 (69.8)

Tumor deposits

0.049

 Yes

11 (15.5)

12 (27.9)

 No

60 (84.5)

31 (72.1)

Number of nodes retrieved

0.080

 Median

17

20

 Range

6-51

8-41

Number of positive nodes

0.050

 Median

6

7

 Range

4-29

4-26

Radiation dose

>0.999

  ≥ 45Gy

70 (93.6)

43 (100.0)

 <45Gy

1 (1.4)

0 (0.0)

Concurrent chemotherapy

0.226

 Full dose

66 (93.0)

37 (86.0)

 Reduced dose

5 (7.0)

6 (14.0)

Time to adjuvant treatment (wk)

<0.001

 Median

6.6

4.3

 Range

3.6-14.0

1.9-16.1

Time to adjuvant radiotherapy (wk)

<0.001

 Median

6.6

17.1

 Range

3.6-14.0

5.1-35.4

Time to adjuvant chemotherapy (wk)

<0.001

 Median

15.6

4.3

 Range

4.6-23.9

1.9-16.1