There is no specific order to which parts of esophageal cancer metastasize, but the metastatic site has a certain relationship with the site of cancer and the way of metastasis. It often spreads through direct lymphatic metastasis, distant metastasis and direct infiltration.
Esophageal cancer can be divided into upper, middle and lower segments according to its shape, with the middle segment being the most common, the lower segment the second, and the upper segment being less common. Esophageal cancer can metastasize through lymph nodes, blood vessels or directly invade and involve other organs, among which lymph node metastasis is the most common way.
1. Lymph node metastasis: cancer of upper segment often metastasizes to supraclavicular lymph nodes and cervical lymph nodes, while cancer of middle and lower segments mostly metastasizes to paratracheal lymph nodes, cardia lymph nodes and paragastric lymph nodes.
2. Vascular metastasis: liver and lung are the most common sites.
3. Direct invasion: the growth of cancer cells penetrates the esophageal wall and involves the surrounding tissues such as trachea, lungs, bones, etc., which is more common in middle and upper segment cancers.