Long-term survival of the middle and lower thoracic esophageal cancer patients after surgical treatment through left or right thoracic approach

Abstract

For the middle and lower thoracic esophageal cancer patients, whether or not who has suspected lymph node metastasis in the upper mediastinum based on preoperative CT and EUS, the surgical treatment through right thoracic approach can achieve better but not significantly better overall survival than that through left thoracic approach. Further prospective randomized clinical trials are still needed to verify this disputed issue on approach selection.