Evaluation of the extent of lymphadenectomy in a randomized trial of Western- versus Japanese-type surgery in gastric cancer.

Abstract

The observed tendency to perform R1 resections combined with insufficient retrieval of lymph nodes underlines the need for increased surgical-pathologic standardization in this trial. Potential remedies are discussed. Proper conduct of clinical trials requires reliable means of standardizing performance of the surgical-pathologic team, an elusive but important goal.