Abstract
Purpose
In T1 colorectal cancer, the depth is the main factor assessing the degree of submucosal invasion (DSI) to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM). The width (WSI) and the area of submucosal invasion (ASI) have been suggested as additional parameters to assess the risk of LNM. A review of the literature was undertaken on the correlation between WSI and ASI parameters and the incidence of LNM.
Methods
A Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane Library search was performed to retrieve all studies reporting correlation between WSI/ASI and risk of LNM in T1 colorectal cancer.
Results
Eight studies including 1727 patients were identified. All considered the degree of WSI and its influence on LNM: seven assessed different width cut-off of submucosal invasion, and one study the mean width of submucosal invasion in patients having or not involved lymph nodes. The WSI was significantly a prognostic factor for LNM (p < 0.05) in four studies. Both 2 and 3 mm seem to be the most discriminatory cut-off values of submucosal width invasion in defining the risk difference of LNM above and below the cut-off (2 mm, OR = infinite; 3 mm, OR = 6.9). Patients having a cut-off ≤ 5 mm of WSI showed a low risk (5.6%) of LNM rendering radical surgery unnecessary. Four studies assessed the risk of LNM according to the involved submucosal area (width × depth). In two of these, the ASI was a significant prognostic factor for LNM (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
The WSI and ASI seem to be reliable prognostic factors for LNM in T1 colorectal cancer. There is no agreement on ideal cut-off value.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of data and material
Yes
References
Glynne-Jones R, Wyrwicz L, Tiret E, Brown G, Rodel C, Cervantes A, Arnold D (2017) Rectal cancer ESMO clinical practice guidelines. Ann Oncol 28(suppl 4):iv22–iv40
Davenport A, Morris J, Pritchard SA, Salmo E, Scott M, Haboubi NY (2016) Interobserver variability amongst gastrointestinal pathologists in assessing prognostic parameters of malignant colorectal polyps: a cause for concern. Tech Coloproctol 20(9):647–652
Kicuchi R, Takano M, Takagi K, Fujimoto N, Nozaki R, Fujiyoshi T, Uchida Y (1995) Management of early invasive colorectal cancer: risk of recurrence and clinical guidelines. Dis Colon Rectum 38(12):1286–1295
Kudo S (1993) Endoscopic mucosal resection of flat and depressed types of early colorectal cancer. Endoscopy 25(7):455–461
Zinicola R, Hill J, Fiocca R (2014) Surgery for colorectal polyps: histological features, current indications, critical points, future perspective and ongoing studies. Color Dis 17 Suppl 1:52–60
Nicholls RJ, Zinicola R, Binda GA (2004) Indications for colorectal resection for adenoma before and after polypectomy. Tech Coloproctol 8(Suppl 2):s291–s294
Ueno H, Mochizuchi H, Hashiguchi Y, Shimazaki H, Aida S, Hase K, Matsukuma S, Kanai T, Kurihara H, Ozawa K, Yoshimura K, Bekku S (2004) Risk factors for an adverse outcome in early invasive colorectal carcinoma. Gastroenterology 127(2):385–394
Toh EW, Broen P, Morris E, Botterill I, Quirke P (2015) Area of submucosal invasion and width of invasion predicts lymph node metastasis in pT1 colorectal cancers. Dis Colon Rectum 58(4):393–340
Suzuki T, Sadahiro S, Mukoyama S, Ishikawa K, Yasuda S, Tajima T, Makuuchi H, Murayama C (2003) Risk of lymph node and distant metastases in patients with early invasive colorectal cancer classified as Haggitt’s level 4 invasion: image analysis of submucosal layer invasion. Dis Colon Rectum 46(2):203–208
Okabe S, Shia JS, Nash G, Wong WD, Guillem JG, Weiser MR, Temple L, Sugihara K, Paty PB (2004) Lymph node metastasis in T1 adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum. J Gastrointest Surg 8(8):1032–1039 discussion 1039-40
Tominaga K, Nakanishi Y, Nimura S, Yoshimura K, Sakai Y, Shimoda T (2005) Predictive histopathologic factors for lymph node metastasis in patients with non pedunculated submucosal invasive colorectal carcinoma. Dis Colon Rectum 48(1):92–100
Yim K, Won DD, Lee IK, Oh ST, Jung ES, Lee SH (2017) Novel predictors for lymph node metastasis in submucosal invasive colorectal carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 23(32):5936–5944
Barel F, Cariou M, Philippe S, Kermarrec T, Auffret A, Samaison L, Bourhis A, Badic B, Jezequel J, Cholet F, Bail JP, Marcorelles P, Nousbaum JB, Robaszkiewicz M, Doucet L, Uguen A (2019) Histopathological factors help to predict lymph node metastases more efficiently than extra-nodal recurrences in submucosa invading pT1 colorectal cancer. Sci Rep 9(1):8342 1–12
Egashira Y, Yoshida T, Hirata I, Hamamoto N, Akutagawa H, Takeshita A, Noda N, Kurisu Y, Shibayama Y (2004) Analysis of pathological risk factors for lymph node metastasis of submucosal invasive colon cancer. Mod Pathol 17(5):503–511
Haboubi N, Salmo E (2013) Are we accurately measuring the depth of the submucosal invasion in early colorectal cancer by equating the Kikuchi submucosa levels with distanced measured in fractions of a millimeter? Color Dis 15(7):775–777
Masaki T, Sugiyama M, Matsuoka H, Abe N, Izumisato Y, Goto A, Sakamoto A, Atomi Y (2003) Clinical utility of grading criteria for submucosal invasion in the prognosis of T1 colorectal carcinomas. J Gastroenterol 38(1):37–44
Debove C, Svrcek M, Dumont S, Chafai N, Tiret E, Parc Y, Lefevre JH (2016) Is the assessment of submucosal invasion still useful in the management of early rectal cancer? A study of 91 consecutive patients. Color Dis 19(1):27–37
Kouyama Y, Kudo SE, Miyachi H, Ichimasa K, Hisayuki T, Oikawa H, Matsudaira S, Kimura YJ, Misawa M, Mori Y, Kodama K, Kudo T, Hayashi T, Wakamura K, Katagiri A, Hidaka E, Ishida F, Hamatani S (2016) Practical problems of measuring depth of submucosal invasion in T1 colorectal carcinomas. Int J Color Dis 31(1):137–146
Watanabe T, Itabashi M, Shimada Y, Tanaka S, Ito Y, Ajioka Y, Hamaguchi T, Hyodo I, Igarashi M, Ishida H, Ishihara S, Ishiguro M, Kanemitsu Y, Kokudo N, Muro K, Ochiai A, Oguchi M, Ohkura Y, Saito Y, Sakai Y, Ueno H, Yoshino T, Boku N, Fujimori T, Koinuma N, Morita T, Nishimura G, Sakata Y, Takahashi K, Tsuruta O, Yamaguchi T, Yoshida M, Yamaguchi N, Kotake K, Sugihara K, Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) (2015) Guidelines 2014 for treatment of colorectal cancer. Int J Clin Oncol 20(2):207–239
Wang LM, Guy R, Fryer E, Kartsonaki C, Gill P, Hughes C, Szuts A, Perera R, Chetty R, Mortensen N (2015) The Ueno method for substaging pT1 colorectal adenocarcinoma by depth and width measurement: an interobserver study. Color Dis 17(8):674–681
Smith KJE, Jones PF, Burke DA, Treanor D, Finan PJ, Quirke P (2011) Lymphatic vessel distribution in the mucosa and submucosa and potential implications for T1 colorectal tumors. Dis Colon Rectum 54(1):35–40
Duff SE, Jeziorska M, Kumar S, Haboubi N, Sherlock D, O'Dwyer ST, Jayson GC (2007) Lymphatic vessel density, microvessel density and lymphangiogenic growth factor expression in colorectal cancer. Color Dis 9(9):793–800
Brockmoeller SF, West NP (2019) Predicting systemic spread in early colorectal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 25(23):2887–2897
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
N. Cracco: Wrote the manuscript
R. Zinicola: Ideator and critical revision of the study
N. Haboubi: Critical revision of the study
V. Todaro: Collection data and drafting tables
G. Pedrazzi: Statistical analysis
P. Del Rio: Critical revision of the literature.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Code availability
Not applicable.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cracco, N., Todaro, V., Pedrazzi, G. et al. The risk of lymph node metastasis in T1 colorectal cancer: new parameters to assess the degree of submucosal invasion. Int J Colorectal Dis 36, 41–45 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-020-03738-0
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-020-03738-0