title: Cervical lymph node dissection for clinically submucosal carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purposes of this study were to clarify the risk factors for supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) metastasis and the survival benefit from cervical lymph node (LN) dissections in patients with clinically submucosal (cT1b) carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 86 patients with this disease who underwent esophagectomy with 3-field lymph node dissection were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard model were used to identify the independent risk factors for SCLN metastasis and prognostic factors, respectively. An index calculated by multiplying the frequency of metastasis at nodal basin and the 5-year overall survival rate of patients with metastasis at that basin were used to assess the therapeutic outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 40 patients (47%) were found to have pathological LN metastasis. Also, 13 patients (15%) had cervical LN metastasis: 6 and 7 with carcinoma of the upper and mid-thoracic esophagus, respectively. SCLN metastasis was found in 6 patients (7%); however, there was no independent risk factor for SCLN metastasis. The 5-year overall survival rate was 72.5%. Cervical LN metastasis was an independent prognostic factor (p = .04; odds ratio 2.55; 95% confidence interval 1.03-6.31); however, there was no significant difference in survival between patients with SCLN metastasis and those without (p = .06). The calculated index of estimated benefit from cervical LN dissections was 6.9, following upper mediastinal LN of 15.6 and perigastric LN of 8.3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not identify risk factors to predict SCLN metastasis. Cervical LN dissection should not be omitted in patients with cT1b carcinoma, especially of the upper and mid-thoracic esophagus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata City, Japan, sugishin@med.niigata-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kosugi
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akaike
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakai
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; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate