The percentage of high-grade patterns in metastatic LNs (mLNs) that can predict poor outcomes has yet to be determined. Additionally, the potential implications of other histologic patterns in metastatic lymph nodes on patient outcomes warrant further investigation.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the prognostic value of pathologic pattern in metastatic lymph nodes.

Inclusion Criteria:

From January 2011 to September 2021, we consecutively collected patients with invasive LUAD who underwent surgical resection at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma, and other variants of adenocarcinoma;
2. incomplete common driver mutation data;
3. unavailable pathologic slides.

From January 2011 to September 2021, we consecutively collected patients with invasive LUAD who underwent surgical resection at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.Exclusion criteria were the following: (1) adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma, and other variants of adenocarcinoma; (2) incomplete common driver mutation data; and (3) unavailable pathologic slides.