how many lymph nodes should be removed?
GROUND: The role and extent of lymphadenectomy in patients with upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is debated. OBJECTIVE: To establish whether the number of lymph nodes (LNs) removed might be associated with better cause-specific survival in patients with UTUC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included 552 consecutive patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) and lymphadenectomy between 1992 and 2006. INTERVENTION: Patients were treated with RNU and lymphadenectomy. MEASUREMENTS: Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models addressed the association between the number of LNs removed and cause-specific mortality (CSM). The number of LNs removed was coded as a cubic spline to allow for nonlinear effects. Finally, the most informative cut-off for the number of removed LNs was identified. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: In the entire population, the number of LNs removed was not associated with CSM in univariable (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.99;