title: Lymph node dissection during radical cystectomy for bladder cancer treatment: considerations on relevance and extent.
abstract: Despite advances in the surgical and medical treatment for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB), there have only been limited improvements in disease-specific mortality rates over the past decades. Lymph node dissection (LND) during radical cystectomy is an integral part of the treatment for muscle-invasive and high-risk UCB. LND may detect and remove lymph node (LN) metastasis and thus guide patient counseling and decision making regarding additional treatment decisions. In addition, LND may improve survival in patients both with and without LN metastasis. In this non-systematic review article, we discuss benefits and risks of LND, the role of limited versus extended LND and the dilemma of preoperative LN staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weisbach
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahlem
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soave
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Felix K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Shahrokh F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Shariat
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fisch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rink
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D015653:Cystectomy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015996:Survival Rate; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*