Sterilization of tumor-positive lymph nodes of esophageal cancer by neo-adjuvant treatment is associated with worse survival compared to tumor-negative lymph nodes treated with surgery first.
Styliani MantziariPierre AllemannMichael WinikerChristine SempouxNicolas DemartinesMarkus SchäferPublished in: Journal of surgical oncology (2017)
Downstaged LN, despite the systemic effect of NAT, still inherit an increased risk for early tumor recurrence and worse long-term survival compared to a priori negative LN.