Lymphadenectomy During Pulmonary Metastasectomy

Pulmonary metastasectomy continues to be an effective approach to prolong survival in appropriately selected patients. The incidence of lymphatic spread is more common than previously recognized, with an estimate of 20% to 25% across multiple tumor types. The presence of metastatically involved lymph nodes adversely affects survival. What remains unclear is whether N1 vs N2, or the number of stations involved affects survival differently. The role of surgery for pulmonary metastasectomy in the patient with nodal metastases will likely expand with ongoing improvements in targeted and immunotherapies.