Survival Benefit and Safety of No. 10 Lymphadenectomy for Gastric Cancer Patients With Total Gastrectomy

This study was aimed to evaluate the survival benefit and safety of No. 10 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer patients with total gastrectomy. Splenic hilar lymph nodes (LNs) are required to be dissected in total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. However, there has still not been a consensus in aspects of survival and safety on No. 10 LN resection. From January 2006 to December 2011, 453 patients undergoing total gastrectomy for gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped according to No. 10 lymphadenectomy (10D+/10D−). Clinicopathologic characteristics were compared between the 2 groups. These patients had undergone a follow-up until January 2014. The overall survival, morbidity, and mortality rate were analyzed. Subgroup analyses which were stratified by the sex, age, tumor location, lymphadenectomy extent, curative degree, differentiation, tumor size, and TNM staging (ie, stages of tumor) were performed. There were 220 patients in 10D+ group, whereas 233 in 10D− group. In terms of prognosis, the baseline features between the 2 groups were almost comparable. The incidence of No. 10 LN metastasis was 11.82%. There was no difference in morbidity and mortality between the 2 groups. Significantly more LNs were harvested from patients in 10D+ group (P = 0.000). The estimated overall 5-year survival rates were 46.44% and 37.43% in 10D+ group and 10D− group respectively, which is not statistically significant (P = 0.3288). Although no statistical significance was found in the estimated 5-year survival rate, these data were obviously higher in patients with age >60 years, Siewert II/ III tumors, N1 status, or IIIa/IIIc stages when No. 10 lymphadenectomies were performed. Although the differences were obvious, the 5-year survival rates between the 2 groups did not reach statistical significances, which was probably caused by too small patient samples. High-quality studies with larger sample sizes are needed before stronger statement can be done. Until then, the No. 10 LNs’ resection might be recommended in total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy with an acceptable incidence of complications.