The Methods of Lymph Node Examination Make a Difference to Node Staging and Detection of N3b Node Status for Gastric Cancer

Background: The number of retrieved lymph nodes (RLNs) affects the likelihood of detecting metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) for gastric cancer (GC), but the retrieval of LNs is not satisfactory worldwide. There is no standard for LN examination. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 2,163 patients diagnosed with GC who underwent surgery at Nanfang Hospital between October 2004 and September 2016. According to the methods of LN examination, patients...