RESUMEN
Objective To explore the clinical significance of tumor pathological length in evaluation of prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Methods 421 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were selected as study subjects.Each patient's data of gender,age,pathological examination(tumor pathological length),survival time,cancer stage,operation mode were collected.The patients were divided into two groups:≤4 cm group(189 cases) and >4 cm group(232 cases), and the constituent ratios of gender,age,or operation mode and the survival rate between the two groups were analyzed.Results There were no significant differences in gender composition,age structure and operation mode between the two groups(x2=2.03,2.41,0.06,all P>0.05);There was positive correlation between tumor pathological length and TNM stage(CMH=68.07,P<0.01).The 25%,50% and 75% quantiles of survival period in the group whose tumor length was less than or equal to 4 cm were 28,40 and 58 months,respectively,which in the group whose tumor length was more than 4 cm were 19,31 and 61 months,and there was significantly difference between the two groups(x2=44.88,P<0.01), the group whose tumor length was less than or equal to 4 cm had higher survival rate than the group whose tumor length was more than 4 cm.In the further stratification analysis by TNM stage,the group whose tumor length was less than or equal to 4 cm had higher survival rate than the group whose tumor length was more than 4 cm in theⅠstage patients(x2=5.61,P<0.05);the group whose tumor length was less than or equal to 4 cm had higher survival rate than the group whose tumor length was more than 4 cm in theⅡstage patients(x2=4.62,P<0.05);the group whose tumor length was less than or equal to 4 cm had higher survival rate than the group whose tumor length was more than 4 cm in the Ⅲ stage patients(x2=4.88,P<0.05).Conclusion Tumor pathological length is an effective prognostic factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma,and the critical value can be determined as 4 cm.