Preoperative radiotherapy and intra-abdominal metastasis of the lymph node in the surgical treatment of carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.

Esophagectomy was performed upon 84 patients treated surgically for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus from 1965 to 1985 at the Tottori School of Medicine. Forty-four of these patients received preoperatively a total of 30 to 40 grays of cobalt 60 (2 grays per day) to the primary lesions, and 40 patients did not receive preoperative radiation therapy. A decreased tendency in the occurrence of metastasis to the intrathoracic lymph nodes was observed histologically in the group exposed preoperatively to radiation. A significant decrease in the occurrence of metastasis to the intrathoracic regional nodes in patients with carcinoma of the middle part of the thoracic esophagus was observed (p less than 0.02). A significant increase in the occurrence of metastasis to the intra-abdominal lymph nodes was observed in the patients receiving radiation therapy (p less than 0.01). The results indicate that preoperative radiotherapy for carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus may increase the risk of metastasis to the intra-abdominal lymph nodes.