Thoracoscopic lymph node dissection in the staging of esophageal carcinoma.

Preoperative staging in esophageal cancer is usually done by noninvasive tests. Currently, in the staging of lung cancer, when lymph nodes are identified preoperatively by CT or MRI to be greater than 1 cm, surgical staging using mediastinoscopy, Chamberlain procedures, or thoracoscopy are employed. We describe herein the use of thoracoscopy in routine preoperative staging of esophageal cancer. With the advent of newer laparoscopic techniques currently available, thoracoscopy plays an increasing role in the management of intrathoracic disease. Staging thoracoscopy as a routine preoperative invasive staging test appears to be a good diagnostic test.