Becker DJ, et al. - In lung cancer patients, researchers used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database (SEER), as well as multivariable Cox regression, to examine links between the number of lymph nodes assessed and overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival, as well as predictors of evaluation of more lymph nodes. They included non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent either lobectomy or pneumonectomy and had pathologic negative nodal evaluation and excluded patients with sublobar resection and/or no lymph node evaluation. With more extensive lymph node evaluation at lung cancer resection, a consistently increasing relative survival benefit was seen, up to 16 to 18 lymph nodes removed. The median number of nodes evaluated was 7, indicating that improved survival outcomes and reduced disparities in care may be achieved by setting a goal of ≥ 16 examined lymph nodes.