Meta-Analysis
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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21, 2014; 20(47): 18022-18030
Published online Dec 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i47.18022
Three-field vs two-field lymph node dissection for esophageal cancer: A meta-analysis
Guo-Wei Ma, Dong-Rong Situ, Qi-Long Ma, Hao Long, Lan-Jun Zhang, Peng Lin, Tie-Hua Rong
Guo-Wei Ma, Dong-Rong Situ, Qi-Long Ma, Hao Long, Lan-Jun Zhang, Peng Lin, Tie-Hua Rong, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Ma GW, Situ DR and Ma QL wrote and edited the manuscript and art works; Long H and Zhang LJ studied all the relevant literature and analyzed the data; Lin P and Rong TH designed the study.
Supported by Grants from the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China, No. 2010B31500010, No. 2012B031800463 and No. 2013B022000040; and the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program), No. 2009AA02Z421
Correspondence to: Tie-Hua Rong, Professor, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, No. 651 Dongfengdong Road, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China. rongth@yeah.net
Telephone: +86-208-7343258 Fax: +86-208-7343392
Received: July 24, 2014
Revised: October 15, 2014
Accepted: December 5, 2014
Published online: December 21, 2014
Core Tip

Core tip: Surgery for esophageal cancer includes removal of the primary lesion and lymph node dissection; however, there is a long-standing debate concerning the application of 3-field lymphadenectomy (3FL). The main purpose of the present meta-analysis was to present all available evidence in a systematic, quantitative, and unbiased fashion to establish the following 3 points: the effect of 3FL on the overall survival rate, identification of postoperative complications of 3FL compared to 2-field lymphadenectomy, and description of patient characteristics of those who will likely benefit from 3FL.