The number of lymph node metastases influences survival in esophageal cancer

Background and Objectives: Lymph node involvement adversely affects the survival of patients with esophageal cancer. We retrospectively investigated whether the number of involved lymph nodes and the degree of lymph node dissection affect survival. Patients and Methods Eighty‐eight patients underwent surgical resection and reconstruction for T1–T3 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Patients were classified into three groups: group 1, 32 patients without lymph node involvement; group 2, 26 patients with 1 to 3 positive nodes; and group 3, 30 patients with ≧4 involved lymph nodes. Results The 3‐year and 5‐year survival rates were 34.8% and 30.0% in group 1, 30.0% and 22.7% in group 2, and 14.8% and 0% in group 3, respectively. The mean survival time (MST) X ±SD of the patients in group 3 (453.06 ± 74.5 days) was significantly shorter than in group 1 (450.1 ± 450.5, P = 0.0005) and group 2 (937.3 ± 1317.9, P = 0.0295). For patients in groups 1 and 2, the MST for three‐field lymph node dissection (1136.9 ± 1476.4 days) was longer than for two‐field lymph node dissection (1007.4 ± 1476.4 days, P = 0.0355). However, in group 3, there was no survival advantage to three‐field lymph node dissection. Conclusion We conclude that the survival in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer involving four or more nodes, is poorer than in patients with lesser involvement. Three‐field lymph node dissection does contribute to prolonged survival in patients with node‐negative disease or fewer than four positive nodes. J. Surg. Oncol. 1998;67:160–163. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.