title: Clinical significance of surgical resection of metastatic lymph nodes from hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The clinical significance of the surgical resection of metastatic lymph nodes (LN) from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of the surgical resection of LN metastasis of HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 961 patients who underwent surgical resection for HCC in our hospital, LN metastasis was identified in 38 patients. In these patients, the metastatic LN were removed completely in 22 patients (complete removal group), and incompletely or not removed in 16 patients (control group). The long-term prognosis after LN metastasis was compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall survival rate after LN metastasis was significantly better in the complete removal group (1-, 3- and 5-year: 71.2, 58.0 and 49.7%, respectively) than in the control group (45.9, 23.0 and 15.3%, respectively, p = 0.0477). LN metastasis was not the cause of death in any of the patients in the complete removal group, whereas it was a cause in some patients in the control group. No local LN recurrence was identified in the complete removal group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results suggest that the complete removal of metastatic LN from HCC is clinically beneficial in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka E-2, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomimaru
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomokuni
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hama
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marubashi
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umeshita
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doki
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakasa
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate