Lymph node dissection in urological cancers: one topic, many controversies

Excerpt

The current special issue of the World Journal of Urology (WJU) is devoted to lymphadenectomy (LND) in urologic oncology. With the exception of testis and penile cancers, the effect of LND in genitourinary cancers is far to have a clear curative role, mainly due to the lack of solid, prospective evidence. However, LND has certainly a prominent role in accurately staging nodal status and in guiding subsequent use of adjuvant therapy, thus potentially improving disease control. Studies involving LND are evolving and have become more focused not only on its diagnostic and prognostic accuracy but also on its therapeutic effect. However, while retrospective studies have shown that a LND may have a potential survival benefit in certain urological cancers, there continues to be controversy. Indeed, since the majority of data are the result of retrospective evidence, the overall clinical impact of LND, optimal extent of dissection, preoperative detection of lymph node metastasis, and treatment complications continue to be investigated. This special issue of the WJU is aimed at reviewing and assessing LND in the staging and management of tumors involving the kidney, prostate, and urothelial cancer of the bladder and upper urinary tract. …