The Effect of Lymph Node Dissection on the Survival of Patients With Operable Gastric Carcinoma.

CLINICAL QUESTION: What is the effect of different extents of lymph node dissection (D1, D2, and D3 lymphadenectomy) in patients affected with operable gastric carcinoma? CLINICAL APPLICATION: Compared with D1 lymphadenectomy (the most conservative type of lymph node dissection), D2 lymphadenectomy (but not D3) is associated with better disease-specific survival, although a more extended dissection is burdened by a higher postoperative mortality rate.