Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of histopathology of biopsy specimens in predicting depth of infiltration in early colorectal carcinomas before treatment. METHODS: Early colorectal carcinomas that had been resected surgically or endoscopically between 1984 and 1995 were analyzed. Histopathologic findings, including differentiation of adenocarcinoma and a desmoplastic response were investigated. RESULTS: One hundred nine early colorectal carcinomas consisted of 73 lesions of carcinomain situ, 13 submucosal carcinomas with minimum invasion, 8 lesions with moderate invasion, and 15 lesions with deep invasion. Of 73 carcinomain situ lesions, 72 (approximately 99 percent) showed well-differentiated adenocarcinomas and no desmoplastic response. Twelve (92 percent) of 13 submucosal carcinomas with minimum invasion also revealed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma without a desmoplastic response. Sixty-three percent (5/8)of lesions with moderate invasion revealed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. None of the lesions had a desmoplastic response. Among lesions with deep invasion, 73 percent (11/15) demonstrated moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, and 11 lesions had a prominent desmoplastic response (73 percent;P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that if histopathologic findings of biopsy specimens taken from them before treatment demonstrated adenocarcinoma associated with a desmoplastic response, the lesions had at least deep invasion carcinomas. These lesions should be resected surgically. Submucosal carcinomas with minimum invasion, which have no desmoplastic response, could be treated endoscopically.
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Nakada, I., Tasaki, T., Ubukata, H. et al. Desmoplastic response in biopsy specimens of early colorectal carcinoma is predictive of deep submucosal invasion. Dis Colon Rectum 41, 896–900 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02235375
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02235375