Lateral lymph node dissection for mid-to-low rectal cancer: is it safe and effective in a practice-based cohort?

• Published in: BMC surgery 2021-01, Vol.21 (1), p.51-51, Article 51
• Main Authors: Numata, Masakatsu, Tamagawa, Hiroshi, Kazama, Keisuke, Kawahara, Shinnosuke, Sawazaki, Sho, Aoyama, Toru, Maezawa, Yukio, Kano, Kazuki, Higuchi, Akio, Godai, Teni, Saigusa, Yusuke, Saeki, Hiroyuki, Yukawa, Norio, Rino, Yasushi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antigens; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Classification; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal surgery; Complications; Dissection; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Lateral lymph node dissection; Long-term; Lymph Node Excision - methods; Lymph nodes; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymph Nodes - surgery; Lymphatic system; Male; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Patients; Practice-based cohort; Professional Practice; Propensity Score; Rectal cancer; Rectal Neoplasms - pathology; Rectal Neoplasms - surgery; Rectal Neoplasms - therapy; Rectum; Retrospective Studies; Short-term; Surgery; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1471-2482; 1471-2482
• DOI: 10.1186/s12893-021-01053-1

Most evidence regarding lateral lymph node dissection for rectal cancer is from expert settings. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this procedure in a practice-based cohort. A total of 383 patients who were diagnosed with stage II-III mid-to-low rectal cancer between 2010 and 2019 and underwent primary resection with curative intent at a general surgery unit were retrospectively reviewed. After propensity matching, 144 patients were divided into the following groups for short- and long-term outcome evaluation: mesorectal excision with lateral lymph node dissection (n = 72) and mesorectal excision (n = 72). This practice-based cohort was characterized by a high pT4 (41.6%) and R1 resection (10.4%) rate. Although the operative time was longer in the lateral dissection group (349 min vs. 237 min, p