title: Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: is radical lymphadenectomy beneficial to patients with nodal disease?
abstract: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of radical lymphadenectomy in ampullary cancer with nodal disease. Thirty-five patients underwent the Whipple procedure with radical lymphadenectomy. The location and number of positive nodes was characterized. Eighteen patients (51%) had positive nodes. Patients without nodal disease (pN0 group) had an actuarial 5-year survival rate of 81%. Seven patients with metastasis confined to the pancreaticoduodenal nodes had a 5-year survival rate of 67%, which was comparable for the pN0 group (N.S.) and better than the 27% 5-year survival rate in patients with positive superior mesenteric nodes (P<0.05). Eleven patients with one to three positive nodes had a 5-year survival rate of 71%, which was also comparable to the pN0 group (N.S.) and better than the 0% 5-year survival rate in patients with four or more positive nodes (P<0.01). Radical lymphadenectomy is effective against a limited degree of nodal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata City, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatakeyama
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014670:Ampulla of Vater / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004386:Duodenum; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008643:Mesentery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010179:Pancreas; D015996:Survival Rate