[Advantage of D2+ lymph node dissection for distal advanced gastric cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the value of D2+ lymph node dissection for patients with distal advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: Clinicopathological data of 305 cases with distal advanced gastric cancer receiving D2+(n=68) or D2(n=237) lymph node dissection in the Tianjin Cancer Hospital from January 2003 to December 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. The overall 5-year survival rate between the 2 groups.

Results: The median survival was 36 months and the 5-year overall survival rate was 40.3% in all patients. The 5-year overall survival rates in the D2+ and D2 groups were 50.4% and 37.4% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.049). In multivariate prognostic analysis however, the extent of lymph node dissection was not identified as an independent prognostic factor(P=0.174). Subgroup analysis showed that 5-year survival rate of D2+ group was significantly higher as compared to D2 group for the following subgroups: maximum diameter of tumor larger than 4 cm(43.9% vs. 27.0%), Borrmann type III(-IIII((55.5% vs. 30.1%), poorly differentiated and undifferentiated tumor (49.8% vs. 37.0%), T4 stage (47.8% vs. 31.0%), N2 stage (53.3% vs. 13.9%), N3 stage (20.0% vs. 9.6%) and positive No.6 lymph nodes (33.1% vs. 16.0%).

Conclusion: Compared with D2 lymph node dissection, D2+ lymph node dissection may benefit some patients with large, poorly differentiated, or late-stage tumor.