Caspase-3 expression in metastatic lymph nodes of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is prognostic of survival

Table 1 Demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics of the patient cohort

Characteristic	n (%)
Age at diagnosis (yr)
≤ 58	61 (50)
> 58	61 (50)
Gender
Male	102 (83.6)
Female	20 (16.4)
Surgical approach1
Sweet	58 (47.5)
McKeown	64 (52.5)
Tumor location
Upper	13 (10.6)
Middle	69 (56.6)
Lower	40 (32.8)
Tumor grade
G1	28 (22.9)
G2	59 (48.4)
G3	35 (28.7)
pT category
T2	12 (9.8)
T3	103 (84.4)
T4a2	7 (5.7)
pN category
N1	64 (52.5)
N2	45 (36.9)
N3	13 (10.6)

¹The sweet procedure consists of esophagectomy with standard dissection of thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes through left thoracotomy; the McKeown procedure consists of esophagectomy with extended dissection of thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes through thoracic-abdominal-cervical incision;

²T4a, resectable tumor invading pleura (n = 4), pericardium (n = 1), and diaphragm (n = 2).