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Separating surgical quality from causality—Gaining perspective in the debate on lymph node count and extent of lymphadenectomy
Author(s) -
Gilbert Scott M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.23471
Subject(s) - lymphadenectomy , medicine , causality (physics) , observational study , lymph node , lymph , perspective (graphical) , general surgery , surgery , pathology , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , computer science
Although the number of lymph nodes removed during lymphadenectomy is associated with survival in several cancers, the survival association has been based primarily on observational data, and causality has not been confirmed through randomized surgical trials. Certainly, the number of lymph nodes removed and the extent of lymphadenectomy are likely related to surgical quality at some level; however, a direct connection to survival is less likely.