Background: To investigate the value of lymph node ratio (LNR) for postoperative major salivary duct carcinoma (MSDC) and to establish a model for prognosis assessment and treatment optimization.
Methods: Data of MSDC were retrieved in public database, and prognostic factors were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. A nomogram and risk stratification system were constructed.
Results: Four hundred and eleven eligible patients were included (training cohort vs. validation cohort: 287: 124). LNR ≥0.09 was associated with worse overall survival (OS). Age at diagnosis, sex, T stage, and LNR were identified as prognostic factors and integrated into nomogram. Low-risk patients were found to have better OS than high-risk patients. Furthermore, postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) significantly improved OS in the high-risk subgroup, but chemotherapy did not confer a long-term survival benefit.
Conclusions: A nomogram model integrating LNR could better assess postoperative prognosis and risk stratification in MSDC, and identify patients who might benefit from PORT to avoid overtreatment.
Keywords: adjuvant therapy; lymph node ratio; major salivary duct carcinoma; nomogram; prognosis.
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