Objective:To focus on the long-term survival in patients after esophagectomy for cancer and to compare the different methods of reconstruction. Methods :In a prospective randomized single-center study from 2007 to 2008

104 patients undergoing esophageal resection were double-blindly randomly divided into experimental group（52 cases）who received the esophageal reconstruction with the narrow gastric tube（NGT）and control group（52 cases）who received the esophageal reconstruction with the whole stomach（WS）. A questionnaire in reference to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer（EORTC）QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-OES18 was administered at 3 weeks

6 months

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years and 5 years after surgery. Clinical data were collected prospectively

and follow-up was performed regularly. Eight factors including age

sex

smoking

drinking

complications

TNM staging

lymph node metastasis and methods of reconstruction were analyzed. The method of Life Tables

Kaplan-Meier

Log Rank and Cox were used. Results:The cumulative survival at 1

3

5 years after surgery was 89%

52% and 35%

respectively. The median survival was 39.6 moths. Methods of reconstruction（RR=1.798

95%CI=1.084 to 2.983

P=0.023）

lymph node metastasis（RR=3.532

95%CI=1.569 to 7.951

P=0.002）and TNM staging（P=0.010）are factors influencing patients’ survival. Conclusion:Narrow gastric tube reconstruction after oncologic esophagectomy leads to a better survival. TNM staging and lymph node metastasis are independent factors influencing survival.