The dilemma of ypN3 esophageal cancer

In this study 3901 patients underwent esophagectomy after neoadjuvant treatment and 244 of these patients (6 %) had ypN3 disease. Median overall- and disease-free survival was 10.0 and 6.0 months respectively for ypN3 disease. The R1 margin rate was higher amongst ypN3 patients: 21 % compared to 4 %. Out of the 244 patients with ypN3 disease, 12 (5 %) were preoperatively staged cN3. Conversely, 11 % of the total 108 patients staged cN3 before neoadjuvant therapy, had ypN3 disease. Current staging is insufficiently accurate to preoperatively identify patients with ypN3 disease for which better imagine modalities are needed. The outcomes of patients with ypN3 disease are dismal, the survival rates in this study question the benefit of surgery in these patients. Improvement in neo-adjuvant therapy and staging might help to select patients with advanced nodal disease who will benefit from surgery.