title: Surgical outcome of patients with thoracic esophageal cancer positive for cervical lymph nodes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although cervical lymph nodes were classified as distant metastases in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer, not a few patients survive more than five-years. The purpose of this study was to predict patients with good prognosis among thoracic esophageal cancer patients with cervical node metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1983 to 2002, 312 consecutive patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent curative surgery with 3-field lymph node dissection (3FLD). A total of 88 (28%) of 312 patients were diagnosed with cervical lymph node metastases. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to evaluate the impact of clinico-pathological factors on the survival of these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall five-year survival rate of 88 patients with cervical lymph node metastases was 26%. Univariate analysis revealed that following groups showed more than 40% overall five-years survival rate; female patients, patients with T1, T2 tumors and patients without thoracic node metastases. These variables were also independent good prognostic factors in multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although cervical lymph node metastases was risk factors for worse survival, female patients, patients with T1, T2 tumors and patients without thoracic node metastases showed acceptable overall survival after 3FLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Frontier Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. hshimada@faculty.chiba-u.jp
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Tooru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiratori
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okazumi
authors.forename: Hisahiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nabeya
authors.forename: Kiyohiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shuto
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Takenori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochiai
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis