Lymph Node Dissection on Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Potential Benefit only for Clinically Node-Negative Patients

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers found that lymph node dissection (LND) did not significantly impact overall survival, disease-free survival, or risk of major complications in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). However, for clinically node-negative patients, LND was associated with improved overall survival and a trend towards improved disease-free survival compared to no LND. These findings suggest that LND may benefit a specific subgroup of ICC patients, but its overall impact on long-term survival and morbidity in ICC is still limited.