Comprehensive analysis of prognostic value of lymph node classifications in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a large real-world multicenter study.

Among the three lymph node-based staging algorithms, LODDS demonstrated the highest discriminative capacity and prognostic accuracy for ESCC patients. The nomograms and novel TNLODDS classification based on LODDS classification could serve as precise evaluation tools to assist clinicians in estimating the survival time of individual patients and improving clinical outcomes postoperatively in the future.