1. Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic lymph node staging in esophageal cancer: do clinicopathological factors affect the outcome? 
Mark J Krasna, MD, Xiaolong Jiao, MD, Joshua R Sonett, MD, Ziv Gamliel, MD, Afshin Eslami, MD, Yael Raefaly, MD, Yousheng Mao, MD 
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 
Volume 73, Issue 6, Pages (June 2002)
DOI: /S (02)03552-X

2. Fig 1
Staging algorithms for esophageal cancer at the University of Maryland Medical System: noninvasive staging methods, including computer tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET), when indicated, are used first to screen patients to exclude distant metastases. These are followed by endoscopic ultrasound examination (EUS) and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of suspicious lymph nodes (LN). If EUS FNA is negative, thoracoscopy/laparoscopy (TS and LS) staging is done to further define the stage categories. If lymphatic metastases are found by EUS FNA or the combined TS and LS staging procedure, multimodality treatment will be considered for the patient. (EGD = esophagoscopy; ? = any suspicious metastases.)
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /S (02)03552-X)