STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE THREE-FIELD LYMPH NODE DISSECTION ON PATIENTS WITH THORACIC ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA AND IST PROGNOSIS

[Objective]To assess the rules of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal carcinoma and three-field lymph node dissection influences survival and its prognosis.[Methods]From 1998 to 2002,308 patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma underwent esophagectomy through right thoracotomy and three-field lymph node dissection.[Results]The rate of patients with cearival and upper midastinal lymph node metastasis was 57.1%.Metastases were found in 21.5% of total dissected lymph nodes;in which 23.8% from neck and 33.1% from upper mediastinum.When cancer located in the upper and middle portion of esophagus,lymph node metastasis were 43.7% and 39.4% in the neck,37.5% and 15% in the upper mediastinum.[Conclusion]The results of this study indicate that carcinoma in the upper and middle portion of the esophagus has a higher rate of lymph node metastases in the neck and upper mediastinum.In order to prevent lymph node recurrence and to improve the long-term survival,lymph node dissection of three-field,particularly the neck and upper mediastinum,shoud be performed routinely.