Publication Name	World Journal of Clinical Oncology
Manuscript ID	123094
DOI	10.5306/wjco.123094
Country	China

Category	Oncology
Manuscript Type	Systematic Reviews
Article Title	Segment-specific patterns of regional lymph-node metastasis in primary small-cell carcinoma of the esophagus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Ke-Xun Li, Jie Mao, Jian-Zhe Zhang, Zi-Long Qian, Yong-Tao Han and Xue-Feng Leng
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number the International Cooperation Projects of the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province 2026YFHZ0053 the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) “Open Competition (Jiebang Guashuai) Program” for AI Medical Device Innovation 2025-AISJK-01001 and The “Flagship” Department Project of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine and Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology-Kunming Medical University Special Projects 202601AY07001-170 and 202601AY07001-179
Corresponding Author	Yong-Tao Han, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (Sichuan Cancer Hospital), Chengdu, China., Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (Sichuan Cancer Hospital), Chengdu, China., 519 Kunzhou Road, Xishan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China., Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. docyongtaohan@163.com
Key Words	Small-cell carcinoma of the esophagus; Lymph-node metastasis; Nodal stations; Systematic review
Core Tip	In small-cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE), lymph-node metastasis is common and anatomically widespread rather than confined to peritumoral stations. Across four surgical cohorts, the pooled prevalence of pathologic nodal metastasis was 61.1%, with a consistent node-level metastatic ratio of about 11%-13%. Station-level evidence shows segment-specific but bidirectional spread involving cervical, mediastinal, and abdominal compartments, with frequent recurrent laryngeal nerve and perigastric node involvement and non-negligible skip metastasis. These findings highlight that SCCE should be understood as a highly lymphotropic disease and support broader, segment-adapted nodal assessment and clinical target-volume design rather than limited local field assumptions.
Citation	Li KX, Mao J, Zhang JZ, Qian ZL, Han YT, Leng XF. Segment-specific patterns of regional lymph-node metastasis in primary small-cell carcinoma of the esophagus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Clin Oncol 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.5306/wjco.123094
PDF	123094-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-05-08 06:36
Peer-Review Started	2026-05-08 06:37
First Decision by Editorial Office Director
Return for Revision	2026-06-24 02:20
Revised	2026-07-01 04:00
Publication Fee Transferred	2026-08-04 15:03
Second Decision by Editor	2026-08-19 02:56
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-08-20 08:40
Articles in Press	2026-08-20 08:40
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2218-4333 (online)
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