title: Does extended lymph node dissection affect the lymph node density and survival after radical cystectomy?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diagnostic and therapeutic importance of pelvic lymph node (LN) dissection (PLND) in radical cystectomy (RC) has gained recent attention. A method of pathological analysis of LN affects total number of LN removed, number of LN involved, and LN density.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare extended lymphadenectomy to standard lymphadenectomy in terms of LN yield, density, and effect on survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  From Jan 2004 - July 2009, 78 patients underwent RC whose complete histopathological report was available for analysis. All were transitional cell carcinoma. From July 2007 onward extended LN dissection was started and LNs were sent in six packets. Twenty-eight patients of standard PLND kept in group I. Group II had 23 patients of standard PLND (LN sent in four packets), and group III had 23 patients of extended PLND (LN sent in six packets). SPSS 15 software used for statistical calculation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Distribution of T-stage among three groups is not statistically significant. Median number of LN harvested were 5 (range, 1-25) in group I, 9 (range, 3-28) in group II, and 16 (range, 1-25) in group III. Although this is significant, we did not find significant difference in number of positive LN harvested. We did not find any patient with skip metastasis to common iliac LN in group 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Separate package LN evaluation significantly increased the total number of LN harvested without increasing the number of positive LN and survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, UP, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dharaskar
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandhani
mesh_terms: D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015653:Cystectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*