Prognostic Influences of Lymph Node Involvement and Tumor Depth in Colorectal Cancer

Choi, Yun Mee; Kim, Hae Sung; Choi, Sun Keun; Hur, Yun Seok; Lee, Kun Young; Kim, Sei Joong; Ahn, Seung Ick; Hong, Kee Cheun; Shin, Seok Hwan; Woo, Ze Hong

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was carried out to evaluate prognostic significance of the clinicopathological features in colorectal cancer.
METHODS
The records of 413 patients who underwent a curative resection of colorectal cancer from June of 1996 to December of 2000 were examined focusing on the clinicopathological factors and difference of survival rates.
RESULTS
The numbers of lymph node metastasis were significantly related to age, depth of invasion, histologic differentiation, tumor size, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and preoperative serum CEA level. In the univariate analysis for 366 patients, the depth of invasion (p=0.0017), histologic differentiation (p=0.0069), lymph node metastasis (p=0.0000), lymphovascular invasion (p=0.0001), perineural invasion (p=0.0008), and preoperative serum CEA level (p=0.0005) turned out to be significant prognostic factors. The histologic differentiation between the primary lesion and the metastatic lymph node was the same in 90.7% of the studied cases. Capsular invasion was found in 92 cases (53.5%), but there was no significant difference in survival rates between the capsular invasion group and non-capsular invasion group (p=0.0510).
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, the depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and the number of lymph node metastasis could be recognized as important prognostic factors for colorectal cancer. However, further follow-up studies are needed to determine the role of the various clinical and pathological factors in colorectal cancer prognosis.