Optimal Lymphadenectomy for Duodenal Adenocarcinoma: Does the Number Alone Matter?

BACKGROUND

Duodenal adenocarcinoma (DA) is a rare disease, and the optimal extent of lymphadenectomy and the role of limited resection remain controversial.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was to assess the pattern of regional lymph node spread of DA and to determine the optimal extent of resection.

METHODS

A total of 65 patients who underwent curative resection for DA at our institution from 1989 through 2015 were included in this study. Clinicopathologic factors associated with long-term outcomes and the patterns of regional node spread per primary tumor location were evaluated.

RESULTS

Fifty-one patients (78%) underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), with the remainder undergoing limited resection. The median number of retrieved lymph nodes was 24 (range 1-63) and 48% of patients had regional node metastasis. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 67%. In the multivariate analysis, regional node and para-aortic lymph node metastasis were risk factors associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio [HR] 12.1 [p = 0.025], and HR 3.2 [p = 0.045], respectively). While pancreaticoduodenal (#13) and superior mesenteric (#14) lymph node stations were commonly involved by both distal and proximal DA (33 vs. 39% for #13, p = 0.39; and 33 vs. 22% for #14, p = 0.27), the pyloric lymph node station was much less involved by distal DA than proximal DA (0 vs. 37%, p = 0.036).

CONCLUSION

The pancreaticoduodenal lymph node station was the most commonly involved lymph node in DA, and PD should be the standard operation for DA. Segmental resection should only be reserved for patients with distal DA who are physically unfit for PD.