Accuracy of ultrasound for the diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Esophageal cancer is considered a serious malignancy with respect to its prognosis and mortality rate. Cervical lymph node status is one of the keys to determining prognosis and treatment methods. However, published data vary regarding the accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of ultrasound for detecting cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with esophageal cancer.