Table 1. Chinese Criteria of thoracic lymph node classification of esophagus cancer and their corresponding relations with UICC/AJCC standards and JES standards.
| Region | Chinese classification and anatomical position description | UICC/AJCC standardsa | JES standardsb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper mediastinum | C201: right recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes (initial reentry of right vagus nerves to right terminal subclavian artery, peripheral lymph nodes and adipose tissue of right recurrent laryngeal nerves) | 2R: right upper paratracheal nodes | 106recR: right recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes |
| C202: left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes (upper left 1/3 of trachea, peripheral lymph nodes and adipose tissue of left recurrent laryngeal nerves of superior border of aortic arch) | 2L: left upper paratracheal nodes | 106recL: left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes | |
| C203: upper thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes (lymph nodes from apex pulmonis to inferior border of inferior border of azygos vein) | 8U: upper thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes | 105: upper thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes | |
| C204: paratracheal lymph nodes (lymph nodes from right vagus nerves to esophagus, on the right side of tracheae) | 4R: right lower paratracheal nodes | 106: paratracheal lymph nodes (106pre: pre-tracheal lymph nodes; 106tbR: right paratracheal lymph nodes) | |
| – | 4L: left lower paratracheal nodes | 106tbL: left paratracheal lymph nodes | |
| 5: subaortic nodes | 113: lymph nodes of arterial ligament | ||
| 6: anterior mediastinal nodes | 114: anterior mediastinal lymph nodes | ||
| C205: subcarinal lymph nodes (caudal to the carina of the trachea) | 7: subcarinal nodes | 107: subcarinal lymph nodes | |
| Lower mediastinum | C206: middle thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes (from the tracheal bifurcation to the caudal margin of the inferior pulmonary vein) | 8M: middle thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes | 108: middle thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes |
| C207: lower thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes (paraesophageal lymph nodes from inferior border of inferior pulmonary vein to gastroesophageal junction) | 8Lo: lower thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes | 110: lower thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes | |
| C208: inferior pulmonary ligament lymph nodes (lymph nodes that are close to inferior border of right lower inferior pulmonary vein and within inferior pulmonary ligament) | 9L: left inferior pulmonary ligament nodes | 112L: left posterior mediastinal lymph nodes | |
| 9R: right inferior pulmonary ligament nodes | 112R: right posterior mediastinal lymph nodes | ||
| – | 10L: left bronchial paratracheal nodes | 109L: left bronchial paratracheal nodes | |
| 10R: right lower bronchial paratracheal nodes | 109R: right bronchial paratracheal nodes | ||
| C209: diaphragmatic nodes (lymph nodes on the right side of cardiophrenic angle) | 15: diaphragmatic nodes | 111: superior phrenic lymph nodes |
a, is based on literature (10,11); b, is based on literature (12); –, refers to lymph nodes which were not included in Chinese Criteria; “C” in Chinese classification stands for Chinese Criteria, “2” indicates thoracic lymph nodes; AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; UICC, Union for International Cancer Control; JES, Japan Esophagus Society.