How many regional lymph nodes must be removed for surgical management of gastric adenocarcinoma according to the National Cancer Database?

The surgical management of gastric adenocarcinoma requires the removal of a specific number of regional lymph nodes to ensure adequate cancer staging and treatment effectiveness. The National Cancer Database recommends the removal of at least 16 regional lymph nodes during gastrectomy. This guideline is based on studies indicating that a higher number of lymph nodes retrieved correlates with improved staging accuracy and potentially better outcomes for patients.

When at least 16 nodes are harvested, it allows for a more thorough assessment of the cancer's extent and whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes, which is critical for determining the appropriate adjuvant therapy and overall prognosis.

In contrast, removing fewer nodes may not provide sufficient information about the spread of the disease, which can result in under-staging of the cancer and inadequate treatment strategies. Thus, adherence to the recommendation of removing at least 16 lymph nodes strengthens the reliability of data on survival outcomes and treatment efficacy in patients undergoing surgical management for gastric adenocarcinoma.