[Lymph distant and skip metastasis of esophageal cancer based on the membrane anatomy theory].

Abstract

This study elaborates the essence of distant lymph node metastasis and skip metastasis of esophageal cancer according to the membrane anatomy theory. Lymph distant metastasis of esophageal cancer is essentially the phenomenon of cancer cells shedding from the primary focus of esophageal cancer and transferring along the direction of lymphatic drainage to the root of the esophageal mesentery. Because the metastasis is relatively distant, it is called distant metastasis. Despite the long distance, this metastasis is still limited to the envelope-like-membrane structure of the esophageal mesentery and belongs to the category of mesangial carcinoma. The lymph node skip metastasis of esophageal cancer refers to the process in which esophageal cancer cells detach from the primary lesion and migrate along the lymphatic drainage direction within the envelope-like-membrane structure of the mesentery to the central lymph nodes at the root of the mesentery. During this metastatic process, the surrounding mesenteric lymph nodes which are tightly attached to the esophagus will not be affected by cancer metastasis because of the isolation barrier effect of the envelope-like membrane structure of the esophageal mesentery. Applying the theory of membrane anatomy to esophageal cancer radical surgery will make the surgery more scientific, reasonable, and standardized, and is expected to achieve dual benefits of both surgical and oncological effects in esophageal cancer radical surgery.