[Rational lymphadenectomy in patients with cervical nodes metastasis for carcinoma of the lower third esophagus].
Prognostic value of removing cervical nodes in patients with carcinoma of the lower third esophagus is extremely controversial. Of 93 patients with curative esophagectomy via trans-thoracic approach, cervical nodes were involved in five patients (13%), upper mediastinal nodes in 12 patients (30%), and para-aortic nodes in only one patients (3%) for 40 patients whose proximal part of the tumor invading the mid-esophagus from below. Of the remaining 53 patients with tumor extent confined to the lower third esophagus, cervical nodes were involved in only one patients (2%), upper mediastinal nodes in five patients (9%), and paraaortic nodes in six patients (11%). Three of the five patients with cervical metastasis whose proximal part of the tumor invading the mid-esophagus survived for at least 22 months or more following three-field lymphadenectomy. Removing the cervical nodes in patients with carcinoma of the lower third esophagus may have some role to improve the survival if the tumor invades the mid-esophagus from below.
Baba
M
M
First Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Heiji
Y
Y
Shimada
M
M
Nakano
S
S
Natsugoe
S
S
Aikou
T
T
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009333:Neck; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome