Oncologic outcomes after resection of para-aortic lymph node metastasis in left-sided colon and rectal cancer

The optimal surgical management strategy for para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis has not attracted as much attention as surgery for liver or lung metastasis. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the oncologic outcomes after synchronous resection of PALN metastasis in left-sided colon and rectal cancer.

Between January 1986 and August 2016, 29 patients with pathologically positive PALN metastases who underwent curative resection at our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. We examined clinicopathological characteristics, long-term oncologic outcomes, and factors related to favorable prognosis in these patients.

The 3-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 50.5% and 17.2%, respectively. In total, 6 (20.7%) patients experienced no recurrence in the 3 years after surgery, while postoperative complications were seen in 9 (31.0%) patients. The 3-year RFS rate was significantly better in the pM1a group than in the pM1b/pM1c group (26.3% and 0.0%, respectively, p = 0.032).

PALN dissection for patients without other organ metastases in left-sided colon or rectal cancer is a good indication as it is for liver and lung metastasis.