Lymph node metastases rate of locoregional and non-locoregional lymph node stations in gastric cancer.

Background: The incidence of lymph node metastases is closely related to the T-stage, and therefore Eastern guidelines advice a D1 lymphadenectomy for early gastric cancer and a D2 lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the lymph node metastases rate in the stations dissected with a D2-lymphadenectomy (stations 8-12) yet spared with a D1-lymphadenectomy, between different T-stages in a Western patient cohort.

Methods: For this retrospective study, patients who underwent a gastrectomy in the Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), location Academic Medical Center (AMC), between 2011 and 2016 were identified from a prospectively maintained database.