Limited-standard-extended lymphadenectomy in bladder cancer

Abstract

Invasive bladder canser is most efficiently treated by carrying out a radical cystectomy (RC) with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). Despite the evidence of a staging role of PLND during RC, its therapeutic role is still unknown and a standard template of PLND has yet to be defined. Evidence is accumulating from both retrospective and prospective studies that an extended lymphadenectomy is associated with an improvement in 5-year progression-free survival. According to last studies; PLND at RC should remove all lymphatic tissues aroud the common iliac, external iliac, internal iliac group, obturator group bilaterally, and presacral nodes.