Thoracic duct resection does not improve survival in patients with esophageal cancer

Thoracic duct (td) resection does not improve the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer, according to a study analyzing 12,237 patients who underwent esophagectomy between 2007 and 2012 in Japan. The study found that td-resected patients had similar overall survival and cause-specific survival rates compared to td-preserved patients. However, td-resected patients had more retrieved mediastinal nodes and fewer lymph node recurrences, but also a significantly higher number of distant metastatic organs. Based on these findings, prophylactic td resection should not be recommended for patients with esophageal cancer.