A pelvic lymph node dissection is a procedure that removes those lymph nodes that are most likely to harbor metastatic bladder cancer. The lymphatic sys-tem collects fluid throughout the body and returns it to the bloodstream through its own set of tiny channels.
Cancer cells often escape the bladder through these channels and establish sites of metastasis in the lymph nodes. If these lymph nodes are the only sites of metastasis, then we may be able to cure some patients of their bladder cancer by removing the lymph nodes in addition to the bladder and surrounding structures (radical cystectomy).
Removal of these lymph nodes also gives us important information to help direct any future treatments that may be necessary.