Esophagectomy in Treating Patients With High-Grade Dysplasia of the Esophagus or Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Esophageal Cancer

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

High grade dysplasia of the esophagus who would undergo esophagectomy OR esophageal cancer at stage T1-T3, N0-N1 who require esophagectomy (patients with M1 disease and/or bulky lymph node involvement were excluded).
Pathological confirmation of a diagnosis of cancer or high-grade dysplasia of the esophagus by biopsy.
Computerized tomography (CT) scan of chest and abdomen within 6 weeks prior to registration
Stomach must be available for conduit
Age of 18 and over
ECOG performance status of 0-2
Creatinine less than 2 mg/dL
Patients with esophageal cancer who would be treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation were eligible. If patients were registered prior to receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy they were allowed up to 5 months to complete therapy and any restaging that was necessary before operation was performed.

The patient was considered an appropriate candidate for surgery based on preoperative clinical staging and physiological factors prior to registration as documented in the surgical plan. Pre-operative staging should include:

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan and/or laparoscopic staging (Laparoscopic staging could be performed on the day of resection. Additional evaluation was recommended if the PET scan suggested distant metastatic disease.)

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Cancer extending into the stomach more than 20%
Prior anti-reflux or gastric operations
Prior right thoracotomy
Prior major neck operation other than the removal of superficial skin lesion