Prognostic significance and surgical management of lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer.

Regional lymph node metastasis is a critical prognostic factor in gastric cancer, and extended lymph node dissection and routine microscopic examination of all resected nodes could potentially provide accurate information regarding lymph node status. On the other hand, the therapeutic value of extended lymph node dissection is controversial. While retrospective and prospective nonrandomized comparative studies have shown that extended lymph node dissection significantly improves the survival rate, two prospective randomized trials have failed to demonstrate the efficacy of extended dissection, although the number of patients in these studies was limited. There is a further, ongoing, trial involving a larger series of patients; the final results of this study should help to determine whether extended lymph node dissection is of therapeutic or merely prognostic value in gastric cancer.