A 39-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with odynophagia. A barium swallow reveals an esophageal constriction at the level of the diaphragm. A CT scan and a biopsy further indicate the presence of an esophageal cancer. Which of the following lymph nodes will most likely be affected first?

Lymph from the lower third of the esophagus drains into the posterior mediastinal and left gastric lymph nodes. The middle third of the esophagus drains into posterior and superior mediastinal lymph nodes. The upper third of the esophagus drains into the deep cervical nodes. The other answer choices drain parts of the trachea, bronchi, and lungs.