Should chemotherapy be used for postoperative pathological examination of lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer

If pathological examination after esophageal cancer surgery reveals lymph node metastasis, chemotherapy should be considered based on the specific situation. If there is only lymph node metastasis and no metastasis to distant organs, chemotherapy is not required; however, if there is metastasis to other parts of the body, chemotherapy is required.

1. No: For patients with early esophageal cancer, they can generally be cured after surgical treatment, and the probability of recurrence is relatively low. At this time, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not required, only regular check-ups are required.

2. Need: However, for patients with mid- to late-stage esophageal cancer, since the tumor cells have spread or metastasized, simple surgical resection cannot completely eliminate the cancer cells in the body. They also need to cooperate with doctors to use cisplatin injection, paclitaxel injection and other drugs for chemotherapy, which can inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the body and thus prolong the patient's survival time.

Patients are advised to maintain good eating habits in their daily lives, avoid spicy foods such as peppers and peppercorns, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and apples. They should also pay attention to rest, get enough sleep, and avoid staying up late. In addition, patients should also actively cooperate with doctors for follow-up treatment to prevent the disease from continuing to develop.