Two-field radical lymphadenectomy in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma

This paper retrospectively compares post-operative complications, mortality and long-term survival of patients with esophageal carcinoma who were trea ted with standard esophagectomy or with extended two-field lymph node clear ance. Fifty-seven patients with resectable esophageal carcinoma were includ ed in the study, Twenty-eight patients were submitted to a radical two-fiel d esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy, while the remaining 29 were submitted to a standard, more conservative, esophagectomy performed mostly through a transhiatal route. The two groups of patients were similar in all clinical, laboratory and pathologic features, There was a significant lower anastomo tic leakage rate in the group of patients submitted to a radical lymphnode resection; post-operative respiratory complication rate and mortality were similar in both groups. The overall 5-year survival was 20%, When lymph nod e resection was performed, the 5-year survival rate rose to 36%; it was 44% when nodal involvement was negative and 19% for N1 patients; when standard esophagectomy was the procedure, these figures were 9% (p < 0.05), 16% and 6% respectively.