Extended Versus Standard Lymphadenectomy for Pancreatic Head Cancer: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction The evidence for improved prognostic assessment and long-term survival for extended pancreatoduodenectomy (EPD) compared to standard pancreatoduodenectomy (SPD) in patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas has not been considered from only randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the outcomes comparing SPD and EPD in RCTs. Searches were performed on MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases using MeSH keyword combinations: ‘pancreatic cancer’, ‘pancreaticoduodenectomy’, ‘extended’, ‘randomized’ and ‘lymphadenectomy’. RCTs published up to 2014 were included. Overall post-operative survival, morbidity, 30-day mortality and length of hospital stay were the outcomes assessed. Results Five eligible RCTs with 546 participants were included (EPD = 276 and SPD = 270). EPD was associated with a significantly higher number of excised lymph nodes (LNs) compared to SPD (mean difference = 15.73, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 9.41–22.04; P