胸段食管癌胸腹二区淋巴结清扫及转移规律

背景与目的:区域淋巴结转移是食管癌主要转移方式,是影响食管癌患者术后预后的重要因素,近年来对如何规范食管癌淋巴结清扫范围存在不同的看法.本研究探讨食管癌胸腹二区及部分颈深组淋巴结的转移规律及其清扫方法.方法:从1990年初至2005年底对1412例胸段食管癌患者以Ivor-Lewis术式为基础进行胸腹二区淋巴结清扫,其中517例加行经右胸顶对颈深组的右气管旁三角区淋巴结进行清扫,并对淋巴结转移规律进行分析.结果:1 412例患者并发症发生率为22.88%(323/1412),死亡率为0.14%(2/1412),淋巴结转移发生率为38.74%(547/1412).共清扫淋巴结13 916个,其中2 662个淋巴结发生转移,淋巴结转移度为19.13%.右颈气管旁三角区、上纵隔、下纵隔及上腹区淋巴结转移率分别为32.30%、18.43%、5.31%、17.28%;转移度分别为23.83%、18.92%、21.07%、17.20%,各区域淋巴结转移率及转移度间差异有统计学意义(P＜0.001).上、中、下段食管癌淋巴结转移率分别为40.59%、36.97%、44.35%;转移度分别为19.60%、18.35%、21.82%,肿瘤发生的部位与淋巴结转移率间差异没有统计学意义(P=0.093).早期食管癌及进展期食管癌淋巴结转移率分别为7.75%、46.56%,转移度分别为4.01%、21.82%,两者转移率和转移度间差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.001).结论:胸段食管癌有广泛转移的倾向,右气管旁三角区及上纵隔区域是胸段食管癌淋巴结转移的重要区域.Ivor-lewis术式更方便胸段食管癌切除和胸腹二区淋巴结的清扫,并且以此为基础经右胸顶对右颈气管旁三角区淋巴结清扫也是安全可行的.     

肺癌纵隔淋巴结转移及广泛廓清的价值

目的研究肺癌纵隔淋巴结转移（Ｎ２）频度、分布范围及特点,为广泛廓清提供依据。方法总结９年间手术切除３８６例肺癌患者的临床资料。术中按Ｎａｒｕｋｅ肺癌淋巴结分布图对肺门、同侧纵隔淋巴结进行广泛廓清。结果Ｎ２１４７例,占３８．１％,清除转移Ｎ２２８９组。Ｎ２转移率在鳞癌、腺癌、小细胞癌及大细胞癌分别为３０．１％、４４．１％、４８．０％及５０．０％。肺上叶Ｎ２７１例,清除转移Ｎ２１４６组。上纵隔转移１２４组,占８４．９％;下纵隔转移２２组,占１５．１％。肺下叶（包括中叶）Ｎ２７６例,清除转移Ｎ２１４３组。下纵隔转移６７组,占４６．９％;上纵隔转移７６组,占５３．１％。跳跃式转移７９例,占Ｎ２转移的５３．７％。跳跃式纵隔转移１６例,占１０．９％。结论肺癌纵隔淋巴结转移具有跳跃性、多发性。只有广泛清除了上下纵隔淋巴结,才有可能达到根治。     

Surgical treatment of thoracic esophageal carcinoma directly invading the lung.

BACKGROUND. The authors examined 63 patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma directly invading the adjacent lung. Four of them had esophago-pulmonary fistulas. One patient received exploratory thoracotomy and exposure to radiation, and 62 underwent esophagectomy with mediastinal and abdominal lymph node dissection. A resection of the seized lung and the esophagus was performed in 39 patients (Group A), and 23 received esophagectomy with part of the tumor remaining intact (Group B). METHODS. The results of treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS. Operative blood loss, mortality, and complications in both groups showed no difference. The average number of dissected lymph nodes in Group A was significantly larger than that in Group B (P less than 0.01). Histologic examination revealed that 22 (56.4%) lesions in Group A invaded the pulmonary parenchyma, a finding that indicates the difficulty of gross diagnosis of tumor infiltration. Five-year survival rates for patients in Groups A and B were 21.1% and 8.7%, respectively. The survival curve for patients in Group A was significantly better than for those in Group B (P less than 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. Pulmonary resection and aggressive lymph node dissection are recommended for patients with esophageal carcinoma that invades the adjacent lung.     

Surgical Treatment for Early Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

More studies are needed to clarify treatments and prognosis of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC). This retrospective study was designed to review the outcome of surgical treatment for early ESCC,evaluate the results of a left thoracotomy for selected patients with early ESCC, and identify factors affectinglymph node metastases and survival. The clinicopathological data of 228 patients with early ESCC who underwenttransthoracic esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy without preoperative adjuvant treatment were reviewed.The χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test were used to detect factors related to lymph node metastasis. Univariate andmultivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors. There were 152 males and 76 females witha median age of 55 years. Two hundred and eight patients underwent a left thoracotomy, and the remaining20 patients with lymph nodes in the upper mediastinum more than 5 mm in short-axis diameter by computedtomography scan underwent a right thoracotomy. No lymph node metastasis was found in the 18 patients withcarcinoma in situ, while lymph node metastases were detected in 1.6% (1/62) of patients with mucosal tumoursand 18.2% (27/148) of patients with submucosal tumours. Only 7 patients showed upper mediastinal lymph nodemetastases in the follow-up. The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 81.4% and 70.1%, respectively. Onlyhistologic grade (P<0.001) and pT category (P=0.001) significantly correlated with the presence of lymph nodemetastases. In multivariate analysis, only histologic grade (P=0.026) and pT category (P=0.008) were independentprognostic factors. A left thoracotomy is acceptable for selected patients with early ESCC. Histologic grade andpT category affected the presence of lymph node metastases and were independent prognostic factors for earlyESCC.     

两种纵隔淋巴结清扫方式治疗的219例ⅢA期非小细胞肺癌患者生存分析

背景与目的:在可切除的ⅢA期非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)患者手术治疗中,如何正确处理纵隔淋巴结对预后非常关键,目前国内外学者对ⅢA期NSCLC患者纵隔淋巴结的清扫范围有较大争议.本研究目的在于探讨以两种纵隔淋巴结清扫方式对NSCLC患者生存的影响.方法:回顾性分析1999年1月至2004年1月,在新疆医科大学附属肿瘤医院外科行完全性切除术的219例ⅢA期NSCLC患者的临床资料及生存状况,其中109例采用采样式纵隔淋巴结清扫术(mediastinal lymph node sampling,LS),110例采用系统纵隔淋巴结清扫术(systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy,SML).寿命表法和Kaplan-Meier法比较累积生存率及中位生存时间,Cox多因素生存模型分析影响生存的主要因素.结果:LS组患者术后1、3、5年生存率分别为82%、28%、13%,SML组分别为88%、37%、16%,两组术后中位生存期分别为20.0、23.5个月,有统计学意义(P＜0.05).Cox多因素分析结果表明,病理类型、纵隔淋巴结转移状况、纵隔淋巴结清扫方式是影响ⅢA期NSCLC N1或N2转移患者预后的因素(P＜0.05).结论:对可手术治疗的ⅢA期NSCLC患者行系统性纵隔淋巴结清扫可以提高生存率.     

Lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal carcinoma

Seventy-nine patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with neck, mediastinal, and abdominal lymphadenectomy. The operative mortality rate was 3.8%. Fifty-seven patients (72.2%) had metastasis in the lymph nodes. Though three patients with carcinoma classified as pTis had no positive nodes, nine (50.0%) of the patients with a pT1 carcinoma had positive nodes. The 5-year survival rate for 57 patients with positive nodes was 33.6%. Twenty-nine patients (36.7%) had positive nodes in the neck; 47 (59.5% ), in the mediastinum; and 33 (41.8%), in the abdomen. Their 5-year survival rates were 30.0%, 24.4%, and 38.4%, respectively. The differences between these rates were not statistically significant. These results indicate that the neck lymph nodes should be regarded as part of the regional lymph nodes and that esophagectomy with wide lymph node dissection improves the long-term survival of patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma.     

胸段食管鳞癌左开胸二野清扫术后复发规律的探讨

目的:分析胸段食管鳞癌根治性左侧开胸二野清扫术后复发的规律,为术后辅助性治疗提供依据。方法:收集1998年6月-2012年12月收治的111例胸段食管鳞癌术后复发的患者,分析其复发情况。结果:111例患者中位复发时间为16.0个月,82.9%患者在术后3年内复发,复发时临床表现以声音嘶哑为最常见（36.0%）。复发类型:单纯局部区域复发76.6%,单纯远处转移6.3%,区域复发合并远处转移17.1%（P=0.000）。局部复发中纵隔淋巴结转移60.4%,下颈锁骨区淋巴结转移48.6%,腹腔淋巴结转移10.8%,吻合口复发15.3%,瘤床区复发1.8%。远处转移26例中,肺转移占50.0%。不同原发部位食管癌之间复发区域的差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。纵隔淋巴结转移中,上纵隔复发率55.9%,中纵隔19.8%,下纵隔淋巴结转移1.8%（P=0.000）,在纵隔淋巴结复发中,1、2区淋巴结复发率分别为42.3%和34.2%,4区22.5%,7区18.0%。采用logistic分析复发部位与临床资料相关性,结果显示纵隔淋巴结转移与T分期有关。结论:胸段食管鳞癌根治性左开胸二野清扫术后复发多在术后3年内发生,以声音嘶哑常见,淋巴结复发为主要复发类型,其中下颈锁骨区及上纵隔1、2区淋巴结复发多见,不同原发部位食管癌之间复发区域无差异。     

电视胸腔镜与开胸肺癌切除淋巴结清扫的对比研究

目的：探讨电视胸腔镜肺癌切除术淋巴结清扫的彻底性和完全性。方法：50例准备常规开胸切除的肺癌患者先采用电视胸腔镜行肺叶切除＋纵隔淋巴结清扫术,随后再接受同组医师的开胸肺门纵隔淋巴结清扫。对开胸后清扫的淋巴结单独标注、计数后送组织病理学检查。结果：50例胸腔镜肺癌切除淋巴结清扫术后,开胸重新清扫淋巴结数共48枚,每例0枚～3枚,平均0．96枚。病理检查全部未查见癌细胞转移。结论：电视胸腔镜肺癌切除淋巴结清扫是彻底的、完全的。     

可手术非小细胞肺癌对侧纵隔和斜角肌前淋巴结转移的临床研究

目的探讨适合行病灶对侧纵隔、斜角肌前淋巴结活检的可手术非小细胞肺癌患者的临床特征。方法89例Ⅰ～ⅢA期非小细胞肺癌患者开胸术前行经颈纵隔镜检查,12例联合右斜角肌活检术,10例联合前纵隔切开术。结果纵隔镜检查后发现9例为不可手术患者,其中3例为右斜角肌淋巴结转移(N3),6例为病灶对侧纵隔淋巴结转移(N3)。统计学分析显示,肺腺癌组的N3发生率高于非腺癌组(P<0.05),血清CEA水平升高组的N3发生率高于正常组(P<0.05),同侧纵隔淋巴结多站转移组的N3发生率高于同侧单站转移组(P<0.05)。结论对可手术的肺腺癌、血清CEA升高、病灶同侧纵隔淋巴结多站转移患者应行病灶对侧或斜角肌前淋巴结活检,以排除N3病变。     

电视纵隔镜在肺癌术前分期中的应用

目的:探讨电视纵隔镜检查术在肺癌术前分期中的应用。方法:40例患者接受了经颈纵隔镜检查术或（和）前纵隔切开术,36例确诊为肺癌但因纵隔淋巴结肿大（直径>1cm）需作术前分期,4 例高度怀疑为肺部恶性肿瘤。结果:电视纵隔镜检查未见纵隔淋巴结转移者28例,中转开胸行肺叶切除加纵隔淋巴结清扫,术后病理均证实为肺癌,手术切除标本未发现纵隔淋巴结转移,与电视纵隔镜检查结果相符。淋巴结转移阳性者12例,均放弃开胸手术,N2 期淋巴结转移10例,接受新辅助化疗;N3 期淋巴结转移2 例,接受放化疗。电视纵隔镜手术平均手术时间62min,平均出血量50mL,切口无感染,出血1 例,并发症发生率为2.5%（1/40）,无围手术期死亡。本组电视纵隔镜检查对肺癌术前纵隔淋巴结分期的准确性、敏感性和特异性均达到100% 。结论:电视纵隔镜手术创伤小,是肺癌术前病理分期的重要检查方法,具有确诊率高、安全可靠等优点。      

经右胸途径颈段、胸上段食管癌切除并三区淋巴结清扫术的外科治疗评价

目的 评价经右胸途径颈段、胸上段食管癌切除并三区淋巴结清扫术的临床意义。方法 采用颈、胸、腹三切口，同时进行颈、胸、腹三区淋巴结清扫，治疗颈、胸上段食管癌104例。总结并探讨颈部及上纵隔淋巴结转移规律。分析病变长度、外侵程度与切除率的关系及主要并发症的危险性。结果 颈部及最上纵隔(右胸顶)淋巴结转移率及转移度分别为47．11％(49／104)及13．27％(114／859)。其中，左气管旁淋巴结分别为17．31％(18／104)及11．46％(25／218)；左颈深下淋巴结分别为7．69％(8／104)及8．13％(17／209)；右气管旁淋巴结分别为12．50％(13／104)及10．61％(19／179)；右颈深下淋巴结分别为11．54％(12／104)及11．86％(21／177)；右胸顶淋巴结分别为17．30％(18／104)及42．10％(32／76)。全组手术切除率为100．00％(104／104)。主要并发症：吻合口瘘发生率为16．34％(17／104)；肺部并发症发生率为8．65％(9／104)；喉返神经损伤发生率为9．6196(10／104)；上消化道梗阻发生率为0．9696(1／104)；死于肺部并发症所致的呼吸衰竭2例，病死率为1.92％(2／104)。结论 经右胸途径食管癌切除并三区淋巴结清扫术是治疗颈、胸上段食管癌较为有效的手术方式。     

现代二野淋巴结清扫食管癌切除术的疗效分析

目的 探讨食管癌切除现代二野淋巴结清扫的手术疗效及临床实际应用价值.方法 1987年6月至2007年12月间,对1690例中下段及上段食管癌患者分别采用Ivor-Lewis术式和Akiyama术式进行现代淋巴结清扫治疗,总结胸腹二野淋巴结转移的发生率以及患者术后1、3、5和10年的生存率.结果 全组患者中,有淋巴结转移713例,转移率为42.2%(713/1690).胸部淋巴结转移665例,占39.3%(665/1690),其中有胸顶气管旁三角区淋巴结转移349例,占20.7%;后上纵隔淋巴结转移444例,占26.3%;下纵隔淋巴结转移307例,占18.2%.腹部淋巴结转移339例,占20.1%.全组患者术后有278例发生312例次各种并发症,并发症的发生率为16.4%(278/1690),其中以肺部并发症为主,共136例次,占43.6%.全组患者的手术死亡率为0.2%.全组患者术后1、3、5和10年生存率分别为88.2%(1388/1574)、63.5%(868/1367)、54.8%(705/1287)和30.8%(232/754).无淋巴结转移患者的5年生存率为76.2%(448/588),有淋巴结转移患者的5年生存率为36.8%(257/699).结论 食管癌切除采用Ivor-Lewis和Akiyama术式可良好地显露胸腹二野,淋巴结清扫彻底,特别是对后上纵隔喉返神经旁、右胸顶气管旁三角区淋巴结的清扫尤为便利.对有淋巴结转移的食管癌患者施行现代二野淋巴结清扫十分必要,能显著提高患者的术后5年生存率.     

The restaging issue

Patients with persisting involvement of mediastinal lymph nodes after neo-adjuvant therapy have a poor prognosis and do not benefit from surgical resection. Precise restaging after induction treatment is important to determine further treatment and prognosis. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have a low accuracy in predicting response after induction therapy. Positron emission tomography (PET) has a high sensitivity to detect residual viable disease in the primary tumour but not in the mediastinal lymph nodes. Invasive staging remains necessary to precisely assess mediastinal response. Remediastinoscopy, although technically difficult, has an accuracy of 80% and provides histological proof of mediastinal downstaging. In this way, it is a useful procedure to select patients for thoracotomy after induction therapy. The ultimate overall pathologic response can only be determined by thoracotomy with excision of the primary tumour, hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes.     

原发性肺癌胸部CT表现与手术切除的关系探讨

目的探讨原发性肺癌胸部ＣＴ表现与手术切除的关系。方法将９５例经手术和病理证实为原发性肺癌的患者分为３组：根治性切除组、姑息性切除组、探查组。分别测量３组ＣＴ肿瘤直径、纵隔肺门淋巴结受侵ＣＴ纵向厚度,记录纵隔、肺门及胸内结构改变。结果根治性切除组、姑息性切除组、探查组肿瘤直径分别为４．１０±１．７５,３．９０±１．２０,５．２０±３．６６（ｃｍ,ｘ±ｓ,Ｐ＞０．０５）。纵隔肺门淋巴结受侵ＣＴ扫描纵向厚度分别为２．６８±１．６０,４．０２±１．５６,４．８５±３．２８（Ｐ＜０．０１,Ｐ＜０．０５）。手术探查组ＣＴ特征主要表现为纵隔、肺门结构变形。结论肿瘤直径大小与手术切除无明显直接关系,纵隔肺门淋巴结受侵厚度是影响手术切除的重要因素。当纵隔肺门淋巴结受侵、胸部ＣＴ纵向厚度≤２．６８±１．６０ｃｍ时,临床上可行根治性肺切除。明显纵隔、肺门结构变形可视为手术禁忌症。     

低位食管癌Ivor-Lewis与Sweet径路根治术的临床评价

目的:探讨下端食管癌淋巴结转移规律,评价胸腹联合食管癌根治术(IL组)与传统经左胸食管癌根治术(SW组)的治疗疗效.方法:回顾性分析119例胸下段食管鳞癌患者胸腹联合食管癌根治术和经左胸食管癌根治术的临床病理资料.结果:IL组平均清除淋巴结(21士7.7)个,淋巴结转移率为21.4％,显著高于SW组的(15.6±9.2)个(t=53.4,P＜0.01)和17.1％,x2=4.820,P=0.028. IL组的上纵隔淋巴结转移率(15.1％)和上腹部淋巴结转移率(17.6％)显著高于SW组的5.6％和9.0％,P＜0.05;中、下纵隔淋巴结转移率与SW组比较差异无统计学意义,P＞0.05.SW组手术时间平均约151.2 min,低于IL组的185.0 min(t=34.8,P＜0.01),两组出血量和术后并发症比较差异无统计学意义,P＞0.05.结论:上纵隔及上腹部区域是下胸段食管癌淋巴结转移的重要区域,Ivor-Lewis术式可清除更多数量及部位的淋巴结,特别是对于上纵及腹腔部位淋巴结的清除具有明显优势.     

左侧卧70°右胸上腹二切口治疗胸中段食管癌

目的改进胸中段食管癌的手术经路,探讨治疗胸中段食管癌的临床经验。方法回顾分析自2003年1月至2007年12月采用左侧卧位70°经右胸后外侧上腹正中二切口,配合术中手术台左右调节治疗100例胸中段食管癌患者的临床资料。结果手术切除率100％,全部治愈出院,术后并发症发生率11．0％,其中心肺并发症7例、吻合口瘘2例、胃排空障碍1例、声嘶1例。本组1,3,5年生存率为87．0％、62．0％和46．0％。结论采用左侧卧70°,右胸后外侧上腹正中切口配合术中手术台左右调节行胸中段食管癌切除,有胸腹手术视野暴露好、切除率高及淋巴纵隔脂肪组织清扫彻底等优势。     

肺癌纵隔淋巴结转移的临床病理探讨

目的 从病理学角度探索肺癌纵隔淋巴结（Ｎ２）转移的特点。方法 为３９８例肺癌患者施行根除性肺陈除淋巴结廓清术,对其中１６０例Ｎ２肺癌的３５２组纵隔转移淋巴结进行病理学研究。结果 肺癌Ｎ２转移可呈现单组、多组和跳跃式转移,分别占４１．２％、５８．８％和２９．３％。Ｎ２转移分布最密集的部位是第７组淋巴结,占４８．８％,其次是第４、３、５组淋巴结,分别占４５．６％,３１．３％和２５．６％;而且Ｎ２转移分     

Value of perioperative brachytherapy in the management of non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung

Nearly one-half of all patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung are found to have mediastinal lymph node metastases at the time of initial presentation. There is no consensus today on what constitutes best treatment in patients whose disease is confined to the chest and in whom mediastinal lymph node metastases are the only evident site of tumor spread. The overall survival of these patients is so low that the majority have been either excluded from therapy or have been treated palliatively by external radiation therapy. In an attempt to improve the control of mediastinal lymph node metastases in the operable patients, we began a pilot study in 1977 at Memorial Hospital to determine the value of perioperative brachytherapy (permanent Iodine-125 implantation of primary lung and a temporary Iridium-192 implantation of the mediastinum) with or without resection followed by a moderate dose of postoperative external beam irradiation.Eighty-eight patients with disease limited to one hemithorax (N2 MO) were treated with this combined method during the period 1977 through 1980.Locoregional control was observed in 76% of the 88 patients. The median survival is 26 months and the 2 year actuarial survival is 51%. There was no post-operative mortality.This pilot study has demonstrated that the combination of surgery, perioperative brachytherapy and external beam irradiation in non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung, metastatic to mediastinal lymph nodes, can improve the locoregional control and prolong survival with minimal early or late morbidity.     

左胸单切口和颈-右胸-腹三切口在食管癌淋巴结清扫中的应用

 目的　比较左胸单切口和颈-右胸-腹三切口在食管癌根治手术中的淋巴结清扫情况,探讨食管癌手术中合理的淋巴结切除范围。方法　回顾性分析2006年1月至2008年1月行食管癌根治手术的95例患者的临床资料,根据手术方式分为左胸切口组62例和三切口组33例,对淋巴结清扫状况和术后并发症进行分析。结果　95例患者共切除1322枚淋巴结,平均每例切除13.9枚。95例中有43例（45.3 %）出现淋巴结转移。左胸切口组和三切口组淋巴结转移率分别为40.3 %（25／62）和54.5 %（18／33）。上段和中段食管癌的颈部淋巴结转移率分别为25.0 %（2／8）和40.0 %（4／10）,下段食管癌的腹部淋巴结转移率为53.8 %（7／13）。食管癌的浸润深度（r＝0.315,P＝0.007）和分化程度（r＝0.239,P＝0.017）与淋巴结转移显著相关。肿瘤长度＞2 cm时淋巴结转移率明显增高（χ2＝34.2,P＜0.001）。左胸切口组和三切口组患者术后并发症发生率分别为25.8 %（16／62）和4.2 %（8／33）,差异无统计学意义（χ2＝0.017,P＝0.869）。围手术期死亡率分别为1.6 %（1／62）和3.0 %（1／33）,差异无统计学意义（χ2＝0.047,P＝0.651）。结论　食管癌根治手术应综合考虑肿瘤浸润深度、分化程度和长度对淋巴结转移的影响。对于上、中段食管癌宜选择三切口利于行术野淋巴结切除,下段食管癌应重视腹腔淋巴结的切除。     

Exclusive radical surgery for esophageal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: Because very poor survival rates were reported after exclusive nonradical surgery, the current opinion in the medical community is that very few esophageal adenocarcinoma patients can anticipate long-term survival after esophagectomy. In the current study the ability of exclusive radical surgery including very extended lymph node dissection to provide a substantial percentage of patients with long-term survival was examined. METHODS: Radical esophagectomy (including removal of the esophageal tube, excision of the potentially involved locoregional lymph nodes, and skeletization of the nonresectable vital organs in the mediastinum and upper abdomen) was attempted in 183 consecutive patients with either Barrett (n = 77) or non-Barrett (n = 106) adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or cardia. Esophagectomy was subtotal (neck anastomosis) or distal (chest anastomosis) in 103 patients and 80 patients, respectively. RESULTS: Radical esophagectomy (Ro resection) was feasible in 137 patients (75%) whereas 46 patients (25%) in whom a part of the neoplastic process was not resectable (R1 or R2 resection) underwent a palliative esophagectomy. The 5-year survival, including in-hospital deaths (4.3%), was 35.3% for the whole series, 48% after Ro resection, and 0% after R1 or R2 resection. The 5-year survival rate after any R resection was 57.2% in patients with Barrett adenocarcinoma compared with 20% in patients with non-Barrett adenocarcinoma (P < 0.0001) because of a higher prevalence of nontransmural tumors (Tis through T2, N0) in the former group (56.5%) compared with the latter group (6.6%) (P < 0.0001). The 5-year survival was related closely to the magnitude of both wall penetration and extraesophageal neoplastic spread (Ro, Tis-T1-T2, N0 = 83.5% vs. Ro, T3, N0 = 44.4% vs. Ro, any T, N1 < 5 metastatic lymph nodes = 37% vs. Ro, any T, N1 > or = 5 metastastic lymph nodes = 6.8% vs. R1, R2 = 0%; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Exclusive radical esophagectomy provides a chance of long-term survival in 35% of esophageal adenocarcinoma patients in whom it is attempted and nearly 50% of those patients in whom it is feasible. The presence of a small number of metastatic lymph nodes does not appear to preclude a long-term favorable outcome.