Metastasis and clinical significance of lymph node for 631 thoracic esophagus carcinoma patients

Objective To analyze the factors influencing lymph node metastasis on the thoracic esophageal carcinoma and to study the features of lymph node metastasis.Methods A retrospective study was made on the specimens of 631 patients who had underwent radical operation to explore the pattern of lymph node metastasis and the relationship of the pathological changes and lymph node metastasis.Results Lymph node metastases were found in 284 of 631 treated patients(45.0%).In 4 239 lymph nodes dissected,metastases exsited in 673 lymph nodes(15.9%).The rate of lymph node metastasis in the upper,middle and lower thoracic esophagus was 35.6%,44.9% and 50.5%,respectively.Lymph node metastasis related to the tumor position,tumor length and tumor invasion depth(P0.05),but not to the differentiation of tumor cells.The characteristics of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal carcinoma were upward,downward and leap spreading.Conclusion The lymph node metastasis relates with the tumor position,tumor length and tumor invasion depth,does not relate to the differentiation of tumor cells.The characteristics of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal carcinoma are obvious.