A comparison of different surgical approaches for the treatment of thoracic middle/lower segment esophageal cancer

Abstract

Objective Surgical approech differs between China and western countries in the treatment of middle/lower aegment thoracic esophageal cancer. This study was designed to compare the effects of different surgical modalities on traumatic reaction, heal-ing process and lymph node dissection.Methods Fifty-nine petients,diagnosed with middle/lower segment of thoracic esophageal cancer, were enlisted and had undergone curative RO esophagectomy.The patients were categorized based on different approaches as the following three groups:group of Ivor-Lewis operation,group of McKeown operation and group of esophagectomy through left tran-sthoracic approach.Clinical data was summarized and malyzed.Results (1)No surgical death was reported in this study.(2)There were no statistical difference among the three groups in tenms of postoperative hospital stay,diration of systemic inflammatory re-sponse syndrome and total body fluid loes (P=0.287,0.641,0.355).(3) The number of total lymph nodes harvested from the above three groups was 22.5(11-39),26(14-56).and 17(7-44)(P=0.005),respectively.The number of abdominal lymph nodes harvested from the above three groups was 10(5-26),12(4-32),and 8(3-19)(P=0.021),respectively.No statistical difference was found to the number of thoracic lymph nodes among three groups.(4)Lymph node metastasis occurred most frequently in the station of pericardial lymph nodes,followed by middle thoracic paraesophageal nodes along the left gastric ar-tery.The range of metastasized lymph nodes dissected through left transthoracic approach was much limited compated with right tran-sthoracic approach.Conchuslon The was no difference between left and right transthoracic approach in terms of surgical trauma and overall rehabilitation.The number of lymph nodes harvested from right transthoracic approach surpassed that from the left approach, which might be due to the extent of abdoominal lymphadenectomy.Considering wide range of lymph node metastasis,We recommedn a more extended lymph node dissection for middle/lower segment of thoracic esophageal cancer for the purpose of better local control control and survival benefit. Key words: Esophageal neoplasms Thoracic surgical procedure Lymph node excision