ReviewCancers2025
Resection vs. Ligation vs. Preservation of the Thoracic Duct During Esophagectomy for Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cancers, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
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.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Indocyanine green-assisted lymphography for intraoperative chyle leak prevention during esophageal cancer surgery: a systematic review of the literature.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Thoracic duct ligation during esophagectomy fails to prevent chylothorax or improve survival: a propensity score matched cohort study.Esophagus : official journal of the Japan Esophageal Society · 2026Article
- Fluorescence Lymphography Using Indocyanine Green During Esophagectomy for Cancer to Prevent Chyle Leakage: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Observational
- Revisiting Thoracic Duct Resection in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity-Matched Analysis and Immunologic Insight Into Recurrence Risk.Thoracic cancer · 2026Article
- Thoracic Duct Resection in Robotic Esophagectomy: Precision Without Clear Benefit.Annals of surgical oncology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesThe effect of thoracic duct (TD) management-resection, ligation, or preservation-during esophagectomy for cancer remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of TD management strategies on oncological outcomes and surgical morbidity.
methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were performed following PRISMA reporting guidelines. Searches of OVID, Embase, and Web of Science identified studies comparing thoracic duct resection or TD ligation with TD preservation in esophagectomy for cancer. Outcomes included 5-year overall survival (OS), postoperative morbidity, postoperative chyle leakage, lymph node yield, and length of stay. Random-effects meta-analyses using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman variance correction were conducted.
resultsA total of 17 studies involving 4200 patients were included. TD resection was associated with a significantly higher lymph node yield (mean difference [MD]: 4, 95% CI: 0 to 8,
conclusionsTD resection increases lymph node yield but is associated with higher rates of chyle leakage, without a significantly improved overall survival. TD ligation does not significantly affect oncological or surgical outcomes compared to TD preservation. A higher grade of evidence is needed to determine the definitive oncological and surgical impact of TD management strategies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.