›› 2012, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (1): 64-67.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-616x.2012.01.015

• 肿瘤防治 • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Prognostic significance of the number of negative lymph node on the survival of patients with thoracic esophageal cancer

DU Ze-sen，WU Zhi-yong，ZHENG Chun-peng，LI Zhuo-yi，FU Jun-hui   

  1. Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou 515031, Guangdon , China
  • Received:2011-09-19 Revised:2011-12-10 Online:2012-01-30 Published:2012-01-30
  • Contact: FU Jun-hui

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Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To explore the prognostic significance of the number of negative lymph node on survival rates in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer. METHODS：Clinicopathological and survival data were collected retrospectively in 239 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer in the Shantou Central Hospital between 2000 and 2006. Kaplan-Meier curves and the Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the association between survival and each clinicopathological factor. RESULTS：The 5-year survival rate was 44.1% for the entire cohort. Univariate analysis indicated that both the positive and negative lymph node numbers were significant prognostic factors. Patients with 4 or more negative nodes had a better 5-year survival rate than those with fewer than 4 negative nodes (49.1% vs. 32.5%， respectively，χ2 = 6.042，P = 0.014). Based on multivariate regression analysis，positive and negative lymph node numbers were independent factors. CONCLUSION：The number of negative lymph nodes has significant prognostic impact on the survival rate of patients with thoracic esophageal cancer and could be integrated into the TNM staging consideration for esophageal cancer.

Key words: esophageal cancer, negative lymph node number, metastases, prognosis