RT Journal
A1 Eveno C, Nemeth J, Soliman H, et al
T1 ASsociation with a high number of lymph nodes and microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer—reply
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 2010
FD August 1
VO 145
IS 8
SP 799
OP 800
DO 10.1001/archsurg.2010.147
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.2010.147
AB 
This observation is about surgery, but is not just for surgeons or pathologists. Surgery is a key component of public health systems around the world, specifically for cancer care. Colon cancer is the most common gastrointestinal malignancy and the second-leading cause of death in the United States.2 The need to improve quality, innovation, and evaluation in surgery has been considered major objectives.3 In that triad of interest, many efforts have been made in the last 10 years around evaluation.4 Nodal involvement is an important factor predicting long-term survival in digestive tract cancer. Numerous studies have shown an improvement in disease-specific and overall survival when elevated numbers of lymph nodes are reported for colon cancer.4 It was intriguing that most authors associated this high number with quality of care and not with a specific reaction to the tumor.