Takaaki Fujii1, Toshinaga Sutoh2, Hiroki Morita2, Reina Yajima2, Satoru Yamaguchi3, Soichi Tsutsumi2, Takayuki Asao4, Hiroyuki Kuwano2. 1. Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine. Maebashi, Gunma, Japan taka.jifu@gmail.com. 2. Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine. Maebashi, Gunma, Japan. 3. Department of Surgical Oncology, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan. 4. Oncology Clinical Development, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine. Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We previously showed that the presence of vascular invasion, but not lymphatic invasion, was a strong prognostic factor for breast cancer. Lymphatic invasion may represent mainly the selective affinity of cancer cells for lymph nodes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the presence of vascular invasion that may reflect systemic disease as a predictor of disease recurrence in colorectal cancer, separate from lymphatic invasion of the primary tumor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 177 consecutive patients with primary colorectal cancer who underwent colorectal resection. We examined the relationship between recurrence and the prognostic significance of clinicopathological factors, particularly lymphatic and vascular invasion. RESULTS: The presence of vascular invasion (v) was significant, while that of lymphatic invasion (ly) was not significant in univariate analysis. The presence of vascular invasion was an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. Among the 60 patients in the ly-/v- group, one (1.7%) had disease recurrence, and among the 33 patients in the ly+/v- group, one (3.0%) had disease recurrence. On the other hand, among the 71 patients in the ly+/v+ group, 16 patients (22.5%) suffered recurrence, and among the 13 patients in the ly-/v+ group, four (30.8%) suffered recurrence. It is interesting to note that despite the presence of lymphatic invasion, the group without vascular invasion (ly+/v-) had a few patients with distant metastases, a result which is similar to that of the ly-/v- group. CONCLUSION: The presence of vascular invasion, but not lymphatic invasion, could be an indicator of high biological aggressiveness and may be a strong prognostic factor for colorectal cancer. Copyright
BACKGROUND: We previously showed that the presence of vascular invasion, but not lymphatic invasion, was a strong prognostic factor for breast cancer. Lymphatic invasion may represent mainly the selective affinity of cancer cells for lymph nodes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the presence of vascular invasion that may reflect systemic disease as a predictor of disease recurrence in colorectal cancer, separate from lymphatic invasion of the primary tumor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 177 consecutive patients with primary colorectal cancer who underwent colorectal resection. We examined the relationship between recurrence and the prognostic significance of clinicopathological factors, particularly lymphatic and vascular invasion. RESULTS: The presence of vascular invasion (v) was significant, while that of lymphatic invasion (ly) was not significant in univariate analysis. The presence of vascular invasion was an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. Among the 60 patients in the ly-/v- group, one (1.7%) had disease recurrence, and among the 33 patients in the ly+/v- group, one (3.0%) had disease recurrence. On the other hand, among the 71 patients in the ly+/v+ group, 16 patients (22.5%) suffered recurrence, and among the 13 patients in the ly-/v+ group, four (30.8%) suffered recurrence. It is interesting to note that despite the presence of lymphatic invasion, the group without vascular invasion (ly+/v-) had a few patients with distant metastases, a result which is similar to that of the ly-/v- group. CONCLUSION: The presence of vascular invasion, but not lymphatic invasion, could be an indicator of high biological aggressiveness and may be a strong prognostic factor for colorectal cancer. Copyright
Authors: Dong Hoon Baek; Gwang Ha Kim; Geun Am Song; In Sub Han; Eun Young Park; Hyun Sung Kim; Hong Jae Jo; Sang Hwa Ko; Do Youn Park; Yoon-Kyung Cho Journal: Clin Transl Gastroenterol Date: 2019-07 Impact factor: 4.488