Clinicopathologic analysis of lymph node status in superficial esophageal squamous carcinoma

Abstract

ER is considered as a reliable treatment of m1 to m2 lesions. Radical surgical resection (SR) is the standard and irreplaceable therapy of sm1 to sm3 lesions. Patients with m3 lesions should undergo ER as the initial procedure for diagnosis. And this treatment is supported only by a successful description of the tumor's characteristics, including (1) only muscularis mucosa invasion and without invasion of the resection margins and (2) without any risk predictors for LNM. Otherwise, SR is recommended.