Abstract
We clarified clinicopathological features of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (20 patients, 8 %) and mucinous carcinoma (11 patients, 4%) as compared with well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (221 patients, 86%) of the colon.
Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was likely to be located in the rectum. In poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, the average age of patients was younger, male patients were predominant, lymph node metastasis and invasion through vessels were more frequent, and invasion through the bowel wall was deeper as compared with well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Mucinous carcinoma was more frequent in female patients. Most mucinous carcinomas were located in the rectum, followed by the right colon. Mucinous carcinomas formed larger tumors than well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas (68 mm versus 51 mm, p< 0.05). Mucinous carcinoma was characterized by peritoneal carcinosis (45.5% versus 7.4%, p<0.01) as compared with well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The cumulative 5-year survival rates in patients with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and mucinous carcinoma were 33% and 30%, respectively, both of which were worse than well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma.
