Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39586955›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2025

Value of Computed Tomography Scan for Detecting Lymph Node Metastasis in Early Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Yunqing Zeng, Yaping Liu, Jinhou Li, Bingcheng Feng, Jiaoyang Lu

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Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Yunqing ZengDepartment of Gastroenterology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Yaping LiuDepartment of Gastroenterology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Jinhou LiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Bingcheng FengDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Jiaoyang LuDepartment of Gastroenterology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China. lujiaoyang@sdu.edu.cn.

Funding

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2020M670044ZXNatural Science Foundation of Shandong Province ZR2020QH184
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe necessity of computed tomography (CT) scan for detecting potential lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) before endoscopic and surgical treatments is under debate.

methodsPatients with histologically proven ESCC limited to the mucosa or submucosa were examined retrospectively. Diagnostic performance of CT for detecting LNM was analyzed by comparing original CT reports with pathology reports. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated.

resultsA total of 625 patients from three tertiary referral hospitals were included. The rate of pathologically confirmed LNM was 12.5%. Based on original CT reports, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of CT to determine LNM in T1 ESCC were 41.0%, 83.2%, 77.9%, 25.8%, and 90.8% respectively. For mucosal cancers (T1a), these parameters were 50.0%, 81.7%, 80.9%, 6.8%, and 98.4%, respectively. For submucosal cancers (T1b), they were 40.0%, 85.0%, 75.0%, 43.0%, and 83.3%, respectively. Additionally, the diagnostic performance of CT for LNM was relatively better for ESCC in the lower esophagus. Pathologically, 69.2% of patients with LNM did not exhibit lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and the sensitivity of CT for recognizing LNM in these patients (33.3%) was lower than those with LVI (58.3%).

conclusionsComputed tomography can detect nearly half of the LNM cases in early ESCC with high specificity. The performance of CT further improved in LNM cases with LVI. Therefore, we conclude that routine preoperative CT for the assessment of potential LNM risk in patients with early ESCC is necessary.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Squamous CellEsophageal NeoplasmsLymph NodesTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdultAgedAged, 80 and overEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansLymphatic MetastasisMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPredictive Value of TestsComputed tomographyEarly cancerEsophageal squamous cell carcinomaLymph node metastasisLymphovascular invasion

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.