Lateral Lymph Node Dissection After Neoadjuvant Chemo-radiation in Advanced Low Rectal Cancer

Lateral lymph nodes (LLD) metastasis is a major cause of local recurrence for advanced rectal cancer. As for the treatment strategies on LLN metastasis, there are huge controversies on whether lateral pelvic lymph nodes dissection (LLND) after neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (nCRT) between Western and Eastern countries. Retrospective cohort evidences indicate that LLND following total mesorectal excision (TME) will bring benefit from cT3-4 rectal cancer, not regular predictive LLND, which will bring more side effects on the contrary. Existing reports tend to recommend LLND for specific individual with suspicious LLN metastasis. Moreover, there is a blank strict prospective randomized control study on the comparison of LLND+TME and LLND after nCRT. Therefore, our trial will compare the efficacy and safety of the two strategies for mid/low rectal cancer with suspicious LLN metastasis. The risk factors (such as radiologic factors, pathologic factors, and serum protein) to predict local recurrence and overall survival will be further investigated.