Abstract
The clinicopathological characteristics affecting the prognosis of esophageal cancer with single metastasized node were examined in patients who had extended lymphadenectomy. We analyzed data from 37 patients with a single metastasized node among 283 patients who had undergone 3-field lymph node dissection at our department (males: 33, females: 14, mean age: 65 years). In the patients with cancer in the middle thoracic esophagus, metastasis was found in the nodes of the neck, chest and abdomen. Metastasis to the Group 1 lymph nodes, according to the Japanese Guidelines for Esophageal Diseases, was observed only in 19 cases (51%), and in approximately half of the patients metastasis was found in nodes of Group 2 or 3. The size of the metastasized node was 10 mm or less in 24 patients, and 5 mm or less in 10 patients. Fourteen patients died of recurrence. The pattern of recurrence was hematogenous in 10 patients, lymph node metastasis in 3, and locoregional in 1. The survival rate was 57.7% and 47.6% at 3 years and 5 years after surgery respectively. Clinicopathological factors which influence prognosis were the degree of lymph node metastasis and the depth of tumor invasion. A multivariate analysis revealed these factors influenced prognosis independently.
