The correlation between tumor gross types and lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Ji Lingfen; Fan Zongmin; Wu Minjie; Wang Ran; Kong Guoqiang; Zhou Yingfa; Cheng Rang; Wang Lidong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-437X.2016.04.003

Abstract：Objective To explore the correlation between tumor gross types and lymph node metastasis in esophageal squa-mous cell carcinoma. Methods A total of 52 470 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were derived from 500 000 cases of esophageal and gastric cardia carcinoma database(1973 - 2015)in Henan Key Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Re-search in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The chi - square test was used to analyze the differences of gross tumor types and lymph node metastasis. Spearman rank correlation and Logistic regression analysis were applied to correlate the relationship between four kinds of tumor gross types and lymph node metastasis. Results In the four gross tumor types,the ulcer type was the most common(45. 0% ),followed by medullary type(40. 9% )and mushroom type(10. 0% ). The narrow type was less common(4. 1% ). The positive rate of lymph node metastasis was the highest in patients with narrow type(45. 4% ), followed by medullary type(42. 6% )and ulcer type(40. 9% ),and the fungating type was the lowest(35. 0% )(P ﹤ 0. 05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed a significant correlation(P ﹤ 0. 05). Logistic regression showed that after adjustment for confounding factors,tumor gross type was one of the important factors to affect lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with an increase in ulcer,medullary and narrow type. Conclusion The gross tumor types were closely associated with the risk of lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and could be used as an important reference index to evaluate lymph node metastasis before surgery.