OBJECTIVETo study the prognostic factors affecting the survival rate after extended radical esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection for squamous cell carcinoma and the effect of postoperative chemotherapy.

METHODSOut of 126 patients with original squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus who accepted extended radical esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection from 1987 - 1992 in a hospital, 97 of them were included in this study. Data on the clinical/pathological characters and post surgery survival records of the subjects' were collected. Survival analysis methods included Kaplan-Meier, Log-rank test and Cox multivariable model and the effects of postoperative chemotherapy were analyzed for patients in early and late stages.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in clinical and pathological character between those patients only undergone surgery and patients accepting postoperative chemotherapy. The size of tumor, grade of differentiation of the tumor cells, infiltration deepness, with or without lymph node metastasis, expression of nm23 and EGFR and treatment after surgery etc. were correlated with the survival rate. For patients in early tumor stage, postoperative chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-FU after surgery seemed to be a risk factor. For patients in late stage, postoperative chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-FU after surgery did not seem to improve survival rate.

CONCLUSIONIt is imperative to study on the effect of adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy to patients, especially those at early stage with squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus. Doctors must be scrupulous when making decisions.