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Abstract

We thank X et al for an important comment and we fully agree with their observations. Besides those points, it is important to notice that an unexpectedly large proportion of patients treated with nephroureterectomy did not undergo a lymph node dissection in the upper tract urothelial carcinoma series reported by Roscigno et al (51.1%). 1 Roscigno M. Shariat S.F. Margulis V. et al. Impact of lymph node dissection on cancer specific survival in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with radical nephroureterectomy. J Urol. 2009; 181: 2482-2489 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (153) Google Scholar It is somewhat surprising that the proportion of patients who underwent a lymph node dissection was higher in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database (73.6%). Editorial CommentUrologyVol. 75Issue 1PreviewThe authors present a good population-based analysis of potential staging and prognostic value of lymphonode dissection (lnd) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated with nephroureterectomy without metastatses vs no lnd. Although no survival benefit was found, some important issues were addressed. The authors state that surgeons are good judges of who requires lnd and in whom it may be avoided. They also point toward the relative lack of standardized indications as well as templates for this surgery. Full-Text PDF A Critical Appraisal of the Value of Lymph Node Dissection at Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial CarcinomaUrologyVol. 75Issue 1PreviewTo perform a population-based analysis of the potential staging or prognostic value (or both) of lymph node dissection (LND) in patients without nodal metastases vs no LND. In several previous reports, LND in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with nephroureterectomy (NU) was associated with better survival relative to no LND (pNx), even in the absence of pathologically confirmed nodal metastases (pN0). Full-Text PDF