Lymph node removal

[telford-hiker]

Hi,does anybody know what determines how many lymph nodes are removed during esophagectomy..I had 76 removed and 7 were cancerous,yet I know people who had 47 removed and 4 were cancerous,and another who had 52,and 5 were..I don’t really understand the connection between the 2 numbers..as the 7s the 5s the 4s etc..or is it just a coincidence ,TIA

[Mauser1905]

In simple terms doubt there would be anything clinical available for layman.

This is more to do with the surgical judgement of the surgeon(s) who are doing this in real time based on their experience and training.

Not all tumors are unique as to type/size/location/metastasis and patient gender/age/underlyings (known&unknowns)/comorbidities.

Safety margin, in essence removing the nodes from the point of surgery will dictate how many nodes could and would be removed. no single case is comparable.

[telford-hiker in reply to Mauser1905]

Thanks for that..so just judgement of the surgeon..I will ask him on next meeting..as I had panicked slightly,after I seem to have had more removed than the 4 other people I speak to whom have had same procedure..

[Mauser1905 in reply to telford-hiker]

No need to panic. myself it was something in the range of 30 ish if i recall correctly. none returned positive.

By the time patient is on the surgery table it has been some time past sinxe the last PET scan or other imaging scan. The MDT meeting past some time for the theatre.

Now not all nodes flash up due to their obvious size in the imaging scans, at times the spread happens in the waiting period for the surgery and the scan.

And only fr the nodes nobody gets another surgery, so you can imagine how critical it is for a surgeon to get as many as nodes he/she may see as fit for prupsoe for removal. and he/she will only get this one time chance while they have oepened up the patient's internals. Hence subjective method.

with as many as local possible remocal means better safety margin.

Pleasde do not be overly worried.

[telford-hiker in reply to Mauser1905]

Ok thank you again for the reassurance..

[Janashlin]

I had 26 removed and 1 was cancerous. Of the numbers you quoted it means the percentages were about 10 percent for all patients.

I checked your Insta page, after covid I may have to put the Wrekin wall on my bucket list.

I’m currently doing my two year checks after a very dreadful time with OC but doing much better now.

Keep going!

[telford-hiker in reply to Janashlin]

Thank you..I did have a Facebook page too..but have deactivated at moment while I spend more time recovering..1 of the people I was speaking too asking advice,(who had same 5 years ago)from North Yorkshire came all the way down stayed at buckatree hotel ,and had their pic taken by the wall..top couple who have guided me over the last 12 months ..Are you local ?..glad to hear you seam to be through the worst and recovering well..stay safe 😊

[Janashlin in reply to telford-hiker]

Recovery is tough but life is worth it.

I’m in Sydney Australia.

Originally from Prince Edward Island in Canada and go back every summer except for this year during covid. Hoping the world will get back to norma so we can travel again soon.

[telford-hiker in reply to Janashlin]

Yes totally 💯😊