[Quantitative and qualitative analysis on the lymph node metastasis of carcinoma of the esophagus]

The results of quantitative and qualitative analysis of lymph nodes dissected during resection of the esophageal carcinoma are as follows. The rate of positive lymph nodes per number of cases was 51.3% (120/234 patients). The rate of positive lymph nodes per number of nodes examined was 15.9% (406/2548 nodes). The correlation between the n-number and the average number of positive lymph nodes for a patient is shown. In the cases in which tumors disappeared from the adventitia of the esophagus by pre-operative radiation, the rate of positive lymph nodes per number of cases and of nodes examined were less than other cases. The metastases in the distant lymph nodes were much less. In the cases in which tumors reached the surgical margin on the adventitia side of the esophagus, the rate of positive lymph nodes per number of cases and of nodes examined were more than others. The metastases in the distant lymph nodes were much more. The pre-operative radiation had no influence on the spreading of the lymph node metastasis. The n-number, the number of positive lymph nodes and of dissected nodes, and the rate of them for each patient had great influence on long-term results.