The survival rate after resectional operation for carcinoma of the esophagus is still very low and many factors contribute to these poor results. We analyze the clinical results of 56 operated patients among 62 esophageal cancer patients between March, 1974 and July, 1988. Among the 62 patients, 52 patients were squamous cell carcinoma and 8 were adenocarcinoma, one was leiomyosarcoma and one was adenosquamous cell carcinoma. The classification of esophageal cancer was based on TNM classification of American Joint Committee on cancer". Among the operated patients, stage I was 5[9.6%], stage II was 13[25%], stage III was 26[50%], stage IV was 8[15.4%]. And its one year survival rate was 80%, 69%, 11.5%, 0% for each stages. The rate of resectability was 30.3% and resection of esophagus with esophagogastrostomy and extended lymph node dissection was performed on 17 patients without distant metastasis or adjacent organ invasion. Substernal esophago-colono-gastrostomy, Celestine tube insertion and feeding gastrostomy was performed on remained 39 patients. The analysis of postoperative survival duration revealed the superiority of esophagectomy with extended lymph node dissection over other palliative operation. [1 year survival rate: 79% versus 21%] We concluded that the survival rate of esophageal resection with lymph node dissection group was superior to nonresective palliative operation group. And transthoracic approach was superior to extrathoracic approach in involved lymph node dissection and esophageal resection in locally invaded cases.ases.