Refining the Nodal Staging for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Lymph Node Stations

The nodal categories for ESCC should be based on the number of metastatic LN stations and be classified into the following 4 groups: N0 (no LN involvement), N1 (1 station involved), N2 (2-3 stations involved), and N3 (≥ 4 stations involved).