Peculiarities of mucinous colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

The clinical and pathological features of 54 mucinous carcinomas of the large intestine were compared with those of 576 non-mucinous carcinomas. Tumours were only categorized as mucinous if they contained at least 60 per cent of mucin by volume. Those with a moderate mucin content (60-80 per cent) were indistinguishable in behaviour from 'non-mucinous' tumours. By contrast, those with a high mucin content (greater than 80 per cent) showed several differences from non-mucinous cancers: they had a more proximal distribution through the large intestine, they comprised a greater fraction of cancers in the under 50 age group (24 versus 7 per cent: P less than 0.01), they were more likely to be Dukes' stage 'D' (58 versus 31 per cent: P less than 0.01) and local fixity was commoner (70 versus 37 per cent: P less than 0.001). Consequently the overall resection rate was reduced from 90 to 73 per cent (P less than 0.01), the curative resection rate from 69 to 42 per cent (P less than 0.01) and the 5-year survival rate from 37 to 18 per cent (P less than 0.05). Colorectal carcinomas of high mucin content require wide excision, tend to recur locally and carry a poor prognosis.

Clinical significance of signet-ring cells in colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma

“…In contrast, mucinous adenocarcinoma is characterized by abundant extracellular mucin produced by tumor cells. Mucinous adenocarcinoma shares some clinical characteristics with signetring cell carcinoma, such as affecting younger patients, 4,5 lymph node metastases, 2 and advanced stage at presentation. 2,4,5 Both colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and signet-ring cell carcinoma are associated with high-frequency microsatellite instability.…”

“…Mucinous adenocarcinoma shares some clinical characteristics with signetring cell carcinoma, such as affecting younger patients, 4,5 lymph node metastases, 2 and advanced stage at presentation. 2,4,5 Both colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and signet-ring cell carcinoma are associated with high-frequency microsatellite instability. [6][7][8] We also believe that there are clinicopathological differences between mucinous adenocarcinomas and signet-ring cell carcinomas, especially in the aggressiveness of biological behavior.…”

A population-based study of colorectal cancer histology in the United States, 1998–2001

“…8 The prognosis of CRC mucinous tumors is more controversial, and some studies have reported a worse outcome for these tumors. 9 Although several studies have shown histology to be an important factor in CRC, few have fully characterized this variable at the population level. In this study, we provide detailed histology data for CRC cases diagnosed in the U.S. from 1998-2001.…”

A inter-relação das sialomucinas (antígenos Tn e Stn) com o adenocarcinoma no esôfago de Barrett

“…Nos pacientes com displasia de alto grau, o diagnóstico sendo confirmado por mais de um patologista experiente, está indicada a ressecção cirúrgica do órgão. Entretanto, outros autores recomendam a 21 demonstraram que uma das características importantes dos tumores de cólon seria a sua capacidade de produção de muco, que estaria relacionada com o comportamento biológico da neoplasia. E durante muitos anos os carcinomas mucinosos, que representam de 15 a 20% dos carcinomas coloretais, foram considerados os de pior prognóstico, apresentando taxas elevadas de recorrência e baixas de sobrevida, principalmente quando o componente mucinoso do tumor ocupava mais de 60% do seu volume.…”