title: Lymph node metastasis in resectable esophageal cancer.
abstract: The prognostic significance of lymph node metastasis was analyzed in 41 patients with locally resectable epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus. The 5-year survival rate was 50.9% if no metastases or only single node metastasis was present and 29.8% when the lymph node metastasis was confined to one anatomic compartment. All patients with metastasis to two nodes died within 4 years of operation, and all with involvement of three nodes or more died within 3 years. Even with no metastases or single node metastasis, three of 22 patients (13.6%) died of recurrence or metastasis or a combination of the two. Although nodal dissection may be beneficial for selected patients, our results indicate that the survival period is short in the presence of a small number of lymph node metastases, even if the local disease is resectable and despite nodal dissection. Cure is unlikely when cervical or abdominal nodes are involved, and a conservative approach may be indicated for such patients.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors