Impact of Lymph Node Metastases in Esophageal Carcinoma Patients is Independent of Patient Age

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to define the clinicopathological features and prognosis ofesophageal cancer.
Methods: Between 2004 and 2009, 128 patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled in aretrospective database and divided into two groups on the basis of number positive lymph nodes with the cutoffas four.
Results: The findings for 18 patients (14.0%) Group A were compared with those of 110 patientsGroup B. In the group A, there were significantly more women (12/6 vs. 54/56, P < 0.001). In both groups, themost frequent histological morphology was squamous cell carcinoma (83% and 75%, respectively), althoughthe percentages were significantly different (P < 0.005). In the group A, lesions were more frequently located inthe middle one-third of the esophagus than in the group B (61% vs. 28%, P < 0.001). Group A was more likely tobe Stage IIa. Survival rates in group A patients at 5 years after resection were 15.8%, similar to those in groupB patients (12.1%, difference not significant). Local lymph node metastases and microscopic residual tumor atthe line of resection were also more prevalent in the young patients, but not to a statistically significant degree.
Conclusions: These findings suggested that the clinical and pathologic features of carcinomas of the esophagusin young patients do not significantly differ from those in older patients.