Background: The treatment of rectal carcinoma by lateral lymph node dissection has risks and benefits. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of lateral lymph node dissection.
Study design: We studied 198 patients with rectal carcinoma who underwent lateral lymph node dissection. Metastases to the lymph nodes were examined by the clearing method. The incidence of urinary and male sexual dysfunction was determined by measuring the residual urine volume and individual interview 1 year after operation.
Results: The rate of metastasis to lateral lymph nodes was 11.1 percent, and metastasis to the lateral lymph nodes occurred more frequently with lower rectal carcinoma classified as pT3 or pT4 in the TNM system. The rate of local recurrence was 12.5 percent and the 5-year survival rate after curative resection was 70.1 percent. The 5-year survival rate in patients with metastasis to the lateral lymph nodes was 25.1 percent, and this rate was significantly lower than the 5-year survival rate of 74.3 percent in patients without metastasis to the lateral lymph nodes. Urinary dysfunction was observed in 67.5 percent of patients, and male sexual dysfunction was found in 97.4 percent of men younger than 60 years of age with prior sexual ability.
Conclusions: The prognosis for patients with metastasis to the lateral lymph nodes is poor, and the improvement in survival rate from lateral lymph node dissection is minimal.