CLINICAL STUDY ON LYMPH NODE METASTASIS OF RECTAL CANCER

Objective To study the rule of lymph node metastases in rectal cancer patient and the accuracy of judgment of lymph node metastases during operation.Methods To analyse retrospectively the clinical materials of 180 patients who had received radical surgery of rectal cancer. Results Lymph node metastases were found in 108 of 180 treated patients (60 %) 2173 lymph nodes dissected, metastases existed in 207 (9 5 %). Tumor differentiation and the depth of tumor invasion were factors influencing lymph node metastases, but the patients's sex, age and the size of the tumor were not. Lymph node positive rate and ratio of number of invaded to removed lymph node in T 3 and T 4 patients were higher than that in T 1 and T 2 patients ( P 0 05). Lymph node positive rate and ratio of number of invaded to removed lymph node in poorly differentiated tumor were higher than that in well differentiated tumor ( P 0 05). Lymph node positive rate in 51 patients with palpable lymph nodes and 129 patients without palpable lymph nodes were 60 8% and 59 7% respectively. Conclusion Lymph node metastasis of rectal cancer is related with depth of tumor invasion and differentiation of the tumor cells. Whether or not lymph nodes were palpable or enlarged during operation cannot be regarded as a reliable judgement of metastasis. Routine lymph node cleaning is necessary.