NEW Lights on Clinical Significance of Lymph Node Dissection: Bladder Cancer

, Seung Il Jung

Review Article

The Korean Journal of Urological Oncology 2008;6(2):47-52.
Published online August 30, 2008.

방광암에서 림프절절제술의 임상적 중요성

정승일

전남대학교 의과대학 비뇨기과학교실

NEW Lights on Clinical Significance of Lymph Node Dissection: Bladder Cancer

Seung Il Jung

Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea

Correspondence: Seung Il Jung

Abstract

The role of regional lymph node dissection(LND) in the surgical management of high-grade, invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder has evolved over the past several decades. Despite advances in radiographic imaging, a pelvic LND remains the most accurate method to stage lymph node involvement. Recent retrospective series suggest that a more extended LND for patients undergoing radical cystectomy(RC) for bladder cancer may have therapeutic benefits in addition to prognostic information. It is currently unquestioned that LND during RC for bladder cancer adds further therapeutic benefit, but the optimum extent of LND remains to be defined, and cannot be derived from current retrospective studies. Furthermore, the additional contribution of adjuvant chemotherapy to the improvement in survival after RC needs to be further refined. This review will examine the need, extent, and the potential prognostic and therapeutic benefits of pelvic LND in bladder cancer. (Korean J Urol Oncol 2008;6:47-52)

Key Words: Urinary bladder neoplasms, Transitional cell carcinoma, Lymph node excision, Prognosis