Background/aims: The current discussion concerning the extent of resection in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction is focused beside the luminal extent of resection primarily on the value of lymphadenectomy.
Methodology: In order to clarify whether spread of lymph node metastasis shows different pathways in adenocarcinomas of the gastroesophageal junction, a prospective, morphological study of the topographical distribution of lymph node metastasis was performed. Transthoracic en bloc esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy (n = 13) or transhiatal esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy of the lower mediastinum and compartment I (lymph node No. 1-3) as well as II (n = 4) was performed in type I carcinoma and transhiatally extended gastrectomy with D2-lymphadenectomy and lymphadenectomy of the lower mediastinum in type II and III carcinoma (n = 33).
Results: In 50 specimens, 1730 lymph nodes were evaluated with regard to metastatic infiltration. We found metastases in the lymph nodes of the lower mediastinum in 24% of type I carcinoma, in 11% of type II carcinoma and in 13% of type III carcinoma, whereas the lymph nodes of the upper mediastinum were tumor free in all patients with transthoracic en bloc resection and 2-field lymphadenectomy (n = 13). In all cases with lymph node metastasis abdominal lymph nodes were affected independently from the localization of the primary tumor.
Conclusions: The main direction of lymph node spread in adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction is towards the abdomen and the lower mediastinum. For precise tumor staging standardized lymphadenectomy of the lower mediastinum and the abdominal compartments I and II is essential.