RT Journal
A1 Follette DM
T1 EXtended esophagectomy with 3-field lymph node dissection for esophageal cancer—invited critique
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 2003
FD December 1
VO 138
IS 12
SP 1390
OP 1390
DO 10.1001/archsurg.138.12.1390
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.138.12.1390
AB 
In this article, the authors summarize the results of extended radical esophagectomy found in 37 manuscripts reported from 1980 to the present. They specifically looked at the degree of lymph node dissection and whether this was in 2 or 3 fields. Although they report a trend toward better survival in 3-field dissection, there was no statistical difference when 2- or 3-field dissection was compared in a prospective randomized trial. The concern raised with this more radical approach, however, is a very high complication rate (48.5%). The study is limited by the lack of data regarding the preoperative clinical and pathologic stages in these patients and how decisions were made in terms of which approach was used.