A Study on the Mode of Recurrence in Cases with Esophagectomy and Extensive Lymph Node Dissections

In cases with thoracic esophageal cancer, postoperative recurrence at the posterior mediastinum and the neck are frequently observed as well as metastasis in distant organs. Extensive lymph node dissection procedures have been developed and applied in cases of thoracic esophageal cancer for these 8 years in Japan, with the expectation that a decrease in the rate of recurrence in the neck and the mediastinum would occur. In this paper, the rate and mode of recurrence among patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy with extensive lymph node dissection at our hospital were studied. It was expected that the results would yield improved indications and postoperative care of this type of patient.