title: [Preoperative prognostic factors for squamous cell carcinomas of the thoracic esophagus].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify preoperative survival prognostic factors in patients with resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1982 to September 1999, 868 patients underwent surgery for esophageal carcinoma in our department, including 493 for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus. The following parameters were retrospectively included in univariate and multivariate analysis: age, sex, undernutrition, dysphagia, tumor diameter and nodal involvement on the CT-scan, preoperative treatment, surgical technique, curative resection, pTNM classification, histologic type and postoperative complications. The actuarial survival was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survival prognostic factors were dysphagia, nodal involvement on CT-scan and depth of tumor invasion at pathological examination. Three groups of patients were identified on the two preoperative variables: group 1: patients without dysphagia (n=102), group 2: patients with dysphagia but without nodal involvement on the CT- scan (n=244), group 3: patients with dysphagia and with nodal involvement on the CT- scan (n=147). The median survivals were 62.4, 19.1 and 14.4 months in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively, and 5-year actuarial survivals were 50%, 21% and 11% (P<0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms that dysphagia and nodal involvement on the CT-scan are simple preoperative prognostic factors in patients with resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Générale, Hôpital Claude-Huriez, CHRU, Lille.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mariette
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maurel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabre
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Balon
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Triboulet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
vernacular_title: Facteurs pronostiques préopératoires des cancers épidermoïdes de l'oesophage thoracique.