[Interpretation of Chinese expert consensus on mediastinal lymph node dissection in esophagectomy for esophageal cancer (2017 edition): base on number or grouping of lymph node].

The Esophageal Cancer Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association have released 《Chinese expert consensus on mediastinal lymph node dissection in esophagectomy for esophageal cancer (2017 edition)》. This consensus provides guidance to standardize mediastinal lymph node dissection in esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in China, and represents the first Chinese version of naming and grouping mediastinal lymph nodes for esophageal cancer. However, controversies exist in N staging. The aim of this article is to discuss whether N staging should base on the number of lymph node metastases, or base on the region in which the metastatic lymph nodes are located.