Prognostic factors of curatively resected esophageal carcinoma associated with multiple metastatic lymph nodes

Prognosis of esophageal carcinoma with multiple metastatic lymph nodes is dismal despite radical operation and adjuvant therapy. We investigated prognostic factors for curatively resected esophageal carcinoma with multiple positive nodes.

From January 1983 to December 2002, 343 patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma underwent an esophagectomy with curative intent. Of these patients, 82 patients were associated with 4 or more histopathologically positive nodes. Of these patients, 59 patients underwent a curative resection. Of these 59 patients, 7 patients who died of postoperative complications during the hospital stay were excluded. Therefore, 52 patients were enrolled in this study. Survival curves were compared after stratifications according to 14 clinicopathologic variables. Independent prognostic factors were detected using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model.

The cumulative 5-year survival rate for the subjects was 10.6%. The factors affecting cumulative survival rate by a univariate analysis were intramural metastasis (absence vs. presence) (p=0.03), and postoperative therapy (performed vs. not performed) (p=0.02). A multivariate analysis detected the performance of postoperative therapy (Hazard Ratio= 0.390, p= 0.002) and the absence of intramural metastasis (Hazard ratio=0.429, p=0.01) as positive prognostic factors.

The positive prognostic factors for esophageal carcinoma with multiple lymph node metastases were the absence of intramural metastasis and the performance of adjuvant therapy.