Objective    To study the rule of D

3

lymph node micrometastasis through detecting cytokeratin 20 (CK20) and caudal type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) in rectal cancer

and to provide an objective evidence for the application of D

3

radical correction for rectal cancer.     Methods    HE staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to analyze CK20 and CDX2 expressions in all lymph node specimens got from 68 patients

whom had been diagnosed with rectal cancer in stage B or C

and received D

3

radical correction for rectal cancer during December 2006 to June 2008 in Department of

General Surgical Southwest Hospital (Chongqing).     Results    Totally 1 5

71 lymph nodes were got from 68 patients

23.1 in average per patient. The latero-micrometastasis rate was 10.3%

upside was 8.8%

and the total metastasis rate of D

3

lymph nodes was 19.1%.     Conclusion    Through detecting CK20 and CDX2

we found that the risk of relapse and metastasis is very high in the patients whose mid-low rectal cancer is in the stage Dukes B or Dukes C

so D

3

radical correction for rectal cancer is quite worthy being generally applied.