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The majority of patients with early-stage lung cancer are now expected to avoid lymph node dissection, a common practice to reduce the risk of metastasis and relapse. This is because doctors from the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center found that the practice doesn't reduce such risks but increases the chance of complications due to surgery-induced injury.

Dr Chen Haiquan from the cancer center was the first to issue a theory of selective lymph node dissection in the international medical field and has carried out relevant studies.

"It is a very innovative and brave theory, as we are challenging a common global practice conducted over the past 50 years. But I am confident as it is for patients' benefit. As more patients are diagnosed with lung cancer in the early stages, our focus is not only limited to treating the tumor but also patients' long-time life quality and benefit," Chen said.

"During research, we confirmed that lymph nodes without cancerous metastasis have their normal immunity function. Complete removal does not bring benefit to patients and also increases nerve damage and other side effects," noted Chen, whose team spent over 10 years to issue the six standards to judge whether the patient should receive lymph node dissection.

"All the six rules are neither difficult nor have very high requirements, so grassroots hospitals also can conduct such checks," he added.

To verify the rules, Chen's team initiated a multi-center clinical research and confirmed their 100 percent accuracy, as no patients meeting the rules and not receiving lymph node dissection had metastasis and relapse.

Compared with those undergoing dissection, these patients' surgical time was shortened by 32 percent, the average bleeding quantity was cut by 46 percent, hospitalization time was shortened by 13 percent and complication rate was 64.5 percent less.

"It means our theory is evidence-based and can bring patients great benefits," he said. "In our hospital, about 80 percent of patients have early-stage lung cancer and over two thirds of them meet the six rules for no lymph node dissection."

The research has been published by world-leading Journal of Clinical Oncology and is expected to be included into international guidelines.