The role of extended lymph node dissection in patients undergoing radical cystectomy

Radical cystectomy (RC) with a pelvic lymph node dissection (LND) is the gold standard for the treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) as well as for some high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancers. The therapeutic advantage of LND, in terms of cancer-specific survival (CSS), still divides opinion and, certainly, the question of the extent of LND at the time of cystectomy is still debated. In this article, we have reviewed the evidence supporting the practice of extending LND in order to help clinicians determine what is appropriate in their practice. There still remains a lack of prospective randomized studies addressing whether extended LND provides a survival benefit in patients undergoing RC for BC. However, there is large body of evidence that suggests there is a positive impact on the oncological outcomes in these patients without an apparent cost of unacceptable adverse events.