Correlation between clinical and pathological nodal status in hepatocellular carcinoma: identifying risk factors for lymph node metastasis via the national cancer database

Tumor characteristics, patient demographics, and specific histological subtypes significantly influence the risk of pN1 in patients with resectable HCC. Given the low sensitivity of cN1, LNE should be considered for high-risk patients to improve diagnostic accuracy and inform treatment decisions. These findings underscore the importance of integrating risk factors into clinical practice and highlight the need for further research to refine predictive models for LNM in HCC.