Minimum lymph node count of 24 improves survival in gastric cancer

An international study involving 2,490 gastric cancer patients identifies a critical minimum of 24 retrieved lymph nodes post-neoadjuvant therapy for better staging and prognosis. This threshold correlates with improved overall and disease-specific survival rates, with 5-year survival significantly higher at 46.0% for those meeting or exceeding the threshold compared to lower counts. Enhanced predictive performance for survival outcomes further emphasizes the importance of adhering to this minimum retrieval standard in radical gastrectomy.