Lateral lymph node dissection reduces local recurrence of locally advanced lower rectal cancer in the absence of preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 3 Results of meta-analysis comparing TME + LLND versus TME alone

	Number of studies	TME + LLND patients	TME patients	Total patients	HR/RR/WMD (95% CI)	P value	Study heterogeneity
							χ²	df	I²	P value
Survival
5-year survival	4	1088	1101	2189	0.93^a(0.71–1.22)	0.62	6	3	50%	0.11
5-year disease-free survival	5	868	684	1552	0.99^a(0.74–1.34)	0.96	9.93	5	50%	0.08
Recurrence
Total recurrence	4	653	454	1107	0.98(0.81–1.18)	0.83	2.37	4	0%	0.67
Local recurrence	7	1290	1930	3220	0.71(0.56–0.89)	0.003	9.22	7	24%	0.24
Lateral recurrence	3	773	1596	2369	0.49(0.18–1.28)	0.14	5.87	2	66%	0.05
Distant recurrence	5	615	1204	1819	0.95(0.68–1.34)	0.78	8.84	5	43%	0.12
Peri-operative outcomes
Length of operation (min)	4	716	479	1195	97.03^b(75.35–118.72)	P < 0.001	82.14	3	96%	P < 0.001
Blood loss (mL)	4	716	479	1195	303.20^b(156.82–449.58)	P < 0.001	201.99	3	99%	P < 0.001
Peri-operative mortality	2	578	414	992	1.52(0.18–12.65)	0.7	0.47	1	0%	0.49
Postoperative complications	3	578	414	992	1.35(1.05–1.74)	0.02	0.53	2	0%	0.77
Functional outcomes
Urinary dysfunction	2	374	372	746	1.44(0·63–3.28)	0·38	4.93	1	80%	0.03
Sexual dysfunction	2	108	92	200	1.41(0.87–2.31)	0·17	2.23	1	55%	0.13

HR hazard ratio, RR risk ratio, WMD weighted mean difference, df degrees of freedom
^aHR
^bWMD

ISSN: 1477-7819