A 62-year-old woman is found to have a large near-obstructing sigmoid cancer on colonoscopy; biopsy returns as adenocarcinoma. Preoperative staging includes a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of 8 ng/mL, and imaging shows a few prominent lymph nodes near the sigmoid lesion. She is referred for surgical management. Frozen section on peritoneal nodules found near the lesion return as adenocarcinoma, and oncological resection is completed. Which of the following is the best determinant of the prognosis for this patient?
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