Is sentinel node mapping useful for esophageal cancer surgery?

Sentinel node (SN) mapping has been used to obtain important information for selective lymphadenectomy in patients with early‐stage melanoma and breast cancer.1, 2 SN are defined as the first draining lymph nodes for the primary tumor and are, therefore, the first possible sites of micrometastasis along the lymphatic drainage route from the primary tumor site. Histopathological examination of SN is considered to be useful for predicting the degree of lymph node metastasis. When SN are identified and confirmed to be free of cancer cells, standard lymphadenectomy can be avoided