Surgery is the primary treatment of non-metastatic colon cancer. En bloc removal of the colon with its associated mesenteric lymph nodes is essential. However, the number of lymph nodes reported with colectomy varies widely and may be a result of variation in the actual number of regional lymph nodes, surgical technique, or the thoroughness of the pathologist in finding lymph nodes. The number of lymph node metastases is an important negative prognostic factor and is used in stratification schemes for clinical trials.¹

Recent studies have emphasised the fact that examining a greater number of nodes increases the likelihood of correct staging and is associated with better survival, after controlling …