[Surgical treatment of gastric carcinoma: lymphadenectomy]

The review of the literature shows the improvement of outcome of patients with gastric cancer after resection and extended lymphadenectomy. Lymphadenectomy D2/D3 was performed in 206 out of 639 patients with gastric cancer: 5-year survival was 66.3% versus 41.5% of the 121 patients that underwent D1 resection (p < 0.0001). Univariate and multivariate analyses show that proximal location of the cancer, advanced stage and lymphadenectomy limited to perigastric stations are negative prognostic factors. Although there are still different opinions regarding D2 or D3 lymphadenectomies for the operative risks, pancreatic resection (preferring pancreas sparing techniques) and splenectomy is subtotal gastrectomy for antral carcinoma, extended lymphadenectomy remains an important point to improve survival.