Impact of Examined Lymph Node Count for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Patients who Underwent Right Transthoracic Esophagectomy

Abstract Background A nomogram was developed to predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) for patients with early-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods We used the clinical data of ESCC patients with pathological T1 stage disease who underwent surgery from January 2011 to June 2018 to develop a nomogram model. Multivariable logistic regression was used to confirm the risk factors for variable selection. The risk of LNM was stratified based on the nomogram model. The nomogram was validated by an independent cohort which included early ESCC patients underwent esophagectomy between July 2018 and December 2019. Results Of the 223 patients, 36 (16.1%) patients had LNM. The following three variables were confirmed as LNM risk factors and were included in the nomogram model: tumor differentiation (odds ratio [OR] = 3.776, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.515–9.360, p = 0.004), depth of tumor invasion (OR = 3.124, 95% CI 1.146–8.511, p = 0.026), and tumor size (OR = 2.420, 95% CI 1.070–5.473, p = 0.034). The C-index was 0.810 (95% CI 0.742–0.895) in the derivation cohort (223 patients) and 0.830 (95% CI 0.763–0.902) in the validation cohort (80 patients). Conclusions A validated nomogram can predict the risk of LNM via risk stratification. It could be used to assist in the decision-making process to determine which patients should undergo esophagectomy and for which patients with a low risk of LNM, curative endoscopic resection would be sufficient.

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Prognostic impact of lymph node metastasis along the left gastric artery in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery ◽

10.1186/s13019-021-01466-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xuan Liu ◽

Leilei Wu ◽

Dongkun Zhang ◽

Peng Lin ◽

Hao Long ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Left Gastric Artery ◽

Prognostic Impact ◽

Gastric Artery ◽

Term Survival

Abstract Background Although the incidence of lymph node (LN) metastasis (LNM) along the left gastric artery is high, its relationship with the prognosis in postoperative patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is rarely reported. This study clarified the prognostic impact of LNM along the left gastric artery in postoperative patients with ESCC. Methods This study assessed data of 1521 patients with ESCC who underwent esophagectomy at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between March 1992 and March 2012. A chi-squared test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to explore the preliminary correlation between clinical factors and LNM along the left gastric artery. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess whether LNM along the left gastric artery was an independent predictor of overall survival. Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log-rank test were used to present a classifying effect based on LN status. Results LNM was observed in 598 patients (39.3%) and was found along the branches of the left gastric artery in 256 patients (16.8%). The patients were classified into two groups based on the presence of LNM along the left gastric artery. Patients without LNM along the left gastric artery had better cancer-specific survival than those with positive LNs (P < 0.001). Conclusions This study indicated that LNM along the left gastric artery was an important independent prognostic factor for long-term survival among ESCC patients (P = 0.011).

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