Importance of Adequate Lymphadenectomy in Gastrointestinal Cancer

One of the most important factors influencing cancer-specific survival in the field GI oncology is the presence of positive lymph nodes. Although it remains controversial, adequate lymph node examination is required for accurate staging such that patients can receive correct adjuvant treatments and for stratification in clinical trials. Nevertheless, wide variation in the quality of lymph node examination exists in the US and many centers are not meeting guideline treatment recommendations.