Skeletonizing en bloc esophagectomy for cancer

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term outcome of patients with esophageal cancer after resection of the extraesophageal component of the neoplastic process en bloc with the esophageal tube. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Opinions are conflicting about the addition of extended resection of locoregional lymph nodes and soft tissue to removal of the esophageal tube. METHODS: Esophagectomy performed en bloc with locoregional lymph nodes and resulting in a real skeletonization of the nonresectable anatomical structures adjacent to the esophagus was attempted in 324 patients. The esophagus was removed using a right thoracic (n = 208), transdiaphragmatic (n = 39), or left thoracic (n = 77) approach. Lymphadenectomy was performed in the upper abdomen and lower mediastinum in all patients. It was extended over the upper mediastinum when a right thoracic approach was used and up to the neck in 17 patients. Esophagectomy was carried out flush with the esophageal wall as soon as it became obvious that a macroscopically complete resection was not feasible. Neoplastic processes were classified according to completeness of the resection, depth of wall penetration, and lymph node involvement. RESULTS: Skeletonizing en bloc esophagectomy was feasible in 235 of the 324 patients (73%). The 5-year survival rate, including in-hospital deaths (5%), was 35% (324 patients); it was 64% in the 117 patients with an intramural neoplastic process versus 19% in the 207 patients having neoplastic tissue outside the esophageal wall or surgical margins (P <.0001). The latter 19% represented 12% of the whole series. The 5-year survival rate after skeletonizing en bloc esophagectomy was 49% (235 patients), 49% for squamous cell versus 47% for glandular carcinomas (P =.4599), 64% for patients with an intramural tumor versus 34% for those with extraesophageal neoplastic tissue (P <.0001), and 43% for patients with fewer than five metastatic nodes versus 11% for those with involvement of five or more lymph nodes (P =.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The strategy of attempting skeletonizing en bloc esophagectomy in all patients offers long-term survival to one third of the patients with resectable extraesophageal neoplastic tissues. These patients represent 12% of the patients with esophageal cancer suitable for esophagectomy and 19% of those having neoplastic tissue outside the esophageal wall or surgical margins.