Study on the Stromal Response of Colon Cancer in Relation with the Stage of the Cancer

Suk, Dong Soo

Abstract

Total 74 cases of colon cancer were examined in the Inje Medical College, Pusan Paik-hospital, which were collected from 1979 to the April 1986. The stromal histopathological findings are as followings; 1) The highest frequency of the good reactions of the four parameters of the stromal response (i.e., good general stromal reaction, peripheral tumor disintergration, and each inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrous proliferation alone) was found in Dukes class B1 and the least frequency in Dukes C1. The good general stromal response and the peripheral tumor disintegration are more closely related with the stage than the other two parameters. They are about 60% in class B1, 30% in class B2 and C2, and 20% in class C1. 2) The insistent poorest stromal response of the Dukes C1 in all parameters may be explained from the fact that the cancer cells of this particular stage are very aggressive biologically because the cancer cells are capable to invade the regional lymph nodes before the main tumor can infiltrate all through the layers of the wall. 3) Among the four types of the colon cancer, the better stromal reactions are observed in more than half of the cases of the well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma while this trend is completely opposite in the mucinous and poorly differentiated types. 4) The above findings indicate that how closely the stroma influences upon the progress of the colon cancer, or how closely it represents the status of the individual immunological force.