摘要
Surgical resection remains the standard treatment for potentially resectable esophageal carcinoma,despite recent advances in multidisciplinary approaches （e.g.,radiotherapy and chemotherapy）.1,2 Postoperative outcomes for patients with esophageal carcinoma are determined by the extent of the primary tumor and the lymphatic spread of the disease.Lymph node status is a particularly strong predictor of survival and recurrent disease.3 Some patients can be cured by removal of the regional disease with lymph node metastases,and removal of all potentially involved regional lymph nodes is essential to achieve cure in these patients.4Keywords：esophageal carcinoma; lymph node dissection; mesoesophageal esophagectomy
Surgical resection remains the standard treatment for potentially resectable esophageal carcinoma,despite recent advances in multidisciplinary approaches （e.g.,radiotherapy and chemotherapy）.1,2 Postoperative outcomes for patients with esophageal carcinoma are determined by the extent of the primary tumor and the lymphatic spread of the disease.Lymph node status is a particularly strong predictor of survival and recurrent disease.3 Some patients can be cured by removal of the regional disease with lymph node metastases,and removal of all potentially involved regional lymph nodes is essential to achieve cure in these patients.4Keywords：esophageal carcinoma; lymph node dissection; mesoesophageal esophagectomy
