ObjectiveTo explore the discipline of superior mediastinum lymph node metastasis of esophageal carcinoma, laying a foundation for the standardization of lymphadenectomy. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 586 patients with esophageal carcinoma in our hospital between June 2009 and June 2014. There were 489 males and 97 females at age of 61.61±7.92 years. We analyzed the discipline of lymph node metastasis in these patients. ResultsThe mean number of lymph nodes dissection was 20.48±11.01 per patient. A total of 1 212 lymph nodes metastasis was found in 326 patients (55.63%). The ratio of lymph nodes metastasis in the superior mediastinum, lower mediastinum, and abdominal cavity was 29.35%, 25.94%, and 31.74% respectively with no statistical difference among the three groups (χ2=4.839, P=0.089). In regard to upper thoracic esophageal carcinoma, the ratio of lymph nodes metastasis in the superior mediastinum, lower mediastinum, and abdominal cavity was 43.48%, 3.73%, and 13.73% respectively with higher metastasis rate (χ2=32.692, P=0.000) in the upper mediastinum. In middle thoracic esophageal carcinoma patients, there was no statistical differences in the ratio of lymph node metastasis among upper mediastinum (28.19%), lower mediastinum (29.53%), and abdominal cavity (31.54%, χ2=0.566, P=0.753). While in the patients with the lower thoracic esophageal carcinoma, the ratio of lymph nodes metastasis in the superior mediastinum, lower mediastinum, and abdominal cavity was 22.92%, 27.08%, and 41.67%, respectively with higher ratio of lymph nodes metastasis in abdominal cavity (χ2=17.542, P=0.000). The involved ratio of the right recurrent lymph nodes (19.80%) was the highest among all the lymph nodes in the superior mediastinum (χ2=112.304, P=0.000). ConclusionUpper mediastinum is one of the predilection sites of lymph nodes metastasis of esophageal carcinoma, focusing on the resection of superior mediastinum lymph nodes, especially the right recurrent lymph nodes can decrease the chances of relapse by reducing residual tumor cells.
ObjectiveTo elucidate the clinical pattern of pulmonary lymph node metastasis and the significance of station No.12 and No. 13 lymph nodes biopsy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MethodsThirty-eight NSCLC patients underwent standard radical resection of pulmonary carcinoma and systemic lymphadenectomy between January 2015 and June 2015. There were 29 males and 9 females with a mean age of 61.1±15.4 years (ranged from 44 to 73 years). There were 20 patients of squamous carcinoma, 17 patients of adenocarcinoma and 1 patient of sarcomatoid carcinoma. All patients didn't receive radioor chemotherapy before the operation. All the lymph nodes in the surgical specimens were marked and sampled for pathology examination. ResultsWe obtained 652 lymph nodes in total (17.2 per patient). Seventy-eight lymph nodes of 24 patients showed lymphatic metastasis with a metastasis degree of 12.0% (78/652) and a metastasis rate of 63.2% (24/38). Among which there were 22 patients of N1 metastasis, 10 of N1+N2 and 2 of N2 skipping metastasis. Routine pathological examination of N1 metastasis demonstrated 12 patients of positive station No.12 and No.13 lymph nodes with the metastasis rate of 31.6%. The total amount of dissected lymph nodes was 95, among which there were 14 lymphatic metastasis with the metastasis rate of 14.7%. Four patients with nodal involvement in lymph node stations No.12 or No.13 were identified from 18 patients without mediastinal and intrapulmonary lymph node metastases confirmed by routine pathological examination. The detection rate was 22.2% (4/18) and the rate of N1 missed diagnosis was 33.3% (4/12). Univariate and multivariate analysis suggested that the metastasis degree of pulmonary lymph nodes of station No.12 and No.13 was associated with tumor differentiation grade (χ2=6.453,P=0.011), while it didn't show any significant differences as to pathology subtype (χ2=0.118, P=0.732), tumor size (χ2=0.930, P=0.759), or tumor classification (χ2=1.648, P=0.199). ConclusionPulmonary lymph node metastasis occupies an important place in the process of lung cancer metastasis. Patients with NSCLC especially those of poorly differentiated should be pathologically examined regularly in order to improve the accuracy of staging.