A Pathological Image-Based Pathomics Signature Combined with Clinicopathological Features for Predicting Lymph Node Metastasis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Development and External Validation Study
Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for over 80% of esophageal cancer cases globally. Lymph node status is the strongest determinant of survival after resection, yet occult disease is found in about 17% of patients classified as node-negative. We developed a postoperative model estimating the...