[Lymph node involvement in carcinoma of the esophagus--re-evaluation for the grouping of lymph nodes]

Based on the analysis of the lymph nodes dissected during resection of 234 esophageal carcinomas and the long-term results of the patient, lymph nodes of the esophagus were grouped into 3 categories, n1, n2 and n3. The lymph nodes of n1 group were frequently involved in metastases and the long-term results of the patients with these lymph nodes metastases were excellent. The n2 lymph nodes were frequently involved in metastases but the survival rates of the patients were low. The n3 lymph nodes were rarely involved and the prognoses of the patients were poor. In comparison with the classification of lymph nodes for surgical dissection as described by the Japanese Society for Esophageal Disease, some problems in this category are discussed. However, this category was revealed to have close relation to the long-term results of the patients with carcinoma of the esophagus and was considered to be of clinical use.