Venous invasion as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer

[Is there alternative to FOLFOX adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colorectal cancer patients?]

Being the second cancer for men and the third cancer for women in France, colorectal cancer represents a serious public health issue. Its incidence has increased these last years and despite new therapeutics being developed, it still has a bad prognostic. Thanks in part to Hemoccult national mass screening program, its diagnosis is made possible at an earlier stage, which makes a surgical curative resection and the carrying out of adjuvant chemotherapy possible. For stage III colic cancer that has been surgically removed, adjuvant chemotherapy by FOLFOX 4 has to be offered. Nevertheless, because of its toxicities, the patient's high age, important comorbidities or post-surgical complications, this chemotherapy occasionally cannot be done. What are the colorectal cancer prognostic factors which would guide the chemotherapy? TNM classification, number of examined lymph nodes, MSI status, and presence or not of a perforation or a perinervous, lymphatic or venous invasion is recognized prognostic factors. Also, what are the alternatives of FOLFOX 4 regimen as colorectal cancer adjuvant treatment?

Lymphovascular invasion is a significant prognosticator in rectal cancer patients who receive preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision

PURPOSE

This study was designed to identify the significance of lymphovascular invasion as a prognosticator for tumor recurrence and survival in rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME).

METHODS

Between January 2003 and October 2010, the study included 328 patients with primary rectal cancer who had received preoperative CRT followed by TME. We analyzed the clinicopathologic factors that may be associated with survival, such as age, gender, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) value, pathologic T and N stage, tumor response, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and perineural invasion.

RESULTS

Higher pathologic T and N stage, poor tumor response, high-grade histology, and positive LVI were adverse prognostic factors for both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) on the multivariate analysis. Perineural invasion was a significant adverse prognostic factor affecting DFS (P=0.046) but not OS (P=0.08). Increased T and N stage and distant recurrence, but not local recurrence, were significant factors associated with LVI. The LVI-negative group had a higher DFS (71.4 vs. 56.2%, P=0.012) and OS rate (86.7 vs. 63.4%, P=0.020) at 5 years than the LVI-positive group did.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive LVI had a negative impact on survival in patients with rectal cancer who received preoperative CRT and TME and is significantly associated with an increased chance of distant recurrence. Based on this finding, more tailored adjuvant chemotherapy is warranted for advanced rectal cancer patients with LVI to reduce the distant dissemination of tumor.

Proforma-based reporting in rectal cancer

The improvements in outcomes associate with the use of preoperative therapy rather than postoperative treatment means that clinical teams are increasingly reliant on imaging to identify high-risk features of disease to determine treatment plans. For many solid tumours, including rectal cancer, validated techniques have emerged in identifying prognostic factors pre-operatively. In the MERCURY study, a standardised scanning technique and the use of reporting proformas enabled consistently accurate assessment and documentation of the prognostic factors. This is now an essential tool to enable our clinical colleagues to make treatment decisions. In this review, we describe the proforma-based reporting tool that enables a systematic approach to the interpretation of the magnetic resonance images, thereby enabling all the clinically relevant features to be adequately assessed.

Objective criteria for the grading of venous invasion in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

To establish an objective histologic grading system of venous invasion.

METHODS

A total of 229 patients with pT3 and pT4 colorectal cancer who underwent curative surgery with lymph node dissection were retrospectively analyzed. Potential prognosis-related characteristics of venous invasion, including the number of venous invasion, morphologic type of venous invasion, maximum size of veins invaded, and location of venous vessel involved were evaluated on elastica van Gieson stained sections.

RESULTS

The relapse-free survival curves between the venous-invasion-positive group and the negative group were significantly different (5 y survival rates were 73.4% and 92.2%, respectively, P=0.001). When patients were divided into 3 groups according to the average number of venous invasions observed in a glass slide [G0 (none), G1 (positive but <4), and G2 (4 or more)], there was a significant difference in the survival rate among the 3 groups [5 y survival rates were 92.2%, 77.8%, and 56.4%, respectively, P=0.008 (G0 vs. G1), P=0.017 (G1 vs. G2)]. The postoperative recurrence rate was 10.8% in the G0 patients, whereas it was 32.5% in the G1 and 51.7% in the G2 patients [P=0.0007 (G0 vs. G1), P=0.047 (G1 vs. G2)]. Multivariate analysis showed the number of venous invasions [hazard ratio (HR) 2.72, P=0.027], depth of invasion (HR 2.26, P=0.014), and lymph node metastasis (HR 2.43, P=0.008) were independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Three ranked tumor grading system based on the number of venous invasion in a glass slide with elastica van Gieson staining could be an objective and important treatment index for colorectal cancer patients.

Quantitative measurement of venous invasion of colorectal cancer with metachronous liver metastasis

AIMS

Many studies have proven the importance of venous invasion in colorectal cancer with synchronous liver metastasis. The aim was to clarify the relationship between venous invasion and metachronous liver metastasis, which is not fully understood.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A histological study of venous invasion in colorectal carcinoma was performed using a total of 156 patients, of whom 52 survived without recurrence for 5 years (Group A); 47 had metachronous liver metastasis (Group B), and 57 had synchronous liver metastasis (Group C). The number and the maximum area of venous invasion were estimated in each case per x 40 field of cancerous lesions, which were divided into intramural and extramural lesions. A high incidence and high average number of foci of venous invasion appeared in Groups B and C. The average maximum areas of extramural venous invasion were much larger in Groups B and C than in Group A.

CONCLUSIONS

The average number of foci of venous invasion by colorectal cancer with metachronous liver metastasis did not differ significantly from that with synchronous ones. Furthermore, invasion into extramural large veins appeared to be associated with liver metastasis.

Predicting factors of postoperative relapse in T2-4N0M0 colorectal cancer patients via harvesting a minimum of 12 lymph nodes

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine which clinicopathological factors influenced the incidence of postoperative relapse and overall survival rates after radical resection of T(2-4)N(0)M(0) colorectal cancer (CRC) patients via harvesting a minimum of 12 lymph nodes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 2001 and June 2006, a total of 342 T(2-4)N(0)M(0) CRC patients who underwent radical resection were retrospectively analyzed in Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. Of these 342 patients, 155 were observed by harvesting a minimum of 12 lymph nodes. These 155 patients were followed up intensively, and their outcomes were investigated retrospectively.

RESULTS

Of 155 patients, 83 were men (53.5%) and 72 (46.5%) were women. The mean age was 65.5 +/- 11.1 years (range, 24-89 years). The median follow-up period was 49 months (range, 19-80 months). The present data showed invasive depth (P = 0.012), vascular invasion (P < 0.001), and perineural invasion (P = 0.009) as significantly prognostic factors for postoperative 5-year relapse rate by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Likewise, invasive depth (P = 0.013), vascular invasion (P < 0.001), and perineural invasion (P = 0.008) were significant factors for postoperative 5-year survival rate. Meanwhile, using a Cox proportional hazards analysis, depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.026) and vascular invasion (P = 0.001) were the independent predictors for postoperative relapse. Furthermore, the presence of vascular invasion was considerably correlated to the higher postoperative relapse rate and the poorer overall survival rates by survival analyses (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Besides the conventional depth of tumor invasion, this study highlights the potential for using vascular invasion as a means of identifying a subgroup of T(2-4)N(0)M(0) CRC patients with adequate lymph node harvest at higher risk who would potential benefit from adjuvant therapy after surgery.

Preoperative staging of rectal cancer

Detailed preoperative staging using high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables the selection of patients that require preoperative therapy for tumour regression. This information can be used to instigate neoadjuvant therapy in those patients with poor prognostic features prior to disturbing the tumour bed and potentially disseminating disease. The design of trials incorporating MR assessment of prognostic factors prior to therapy has been found to be of value in assessing treatment modalities and outcomes that are targeted to these preoperative prognostic subgroups and in providing a quantifiable assessment of the efficacy of particular chemoradiation treatment protocols by comparing pre-treatment MR staging with post therapy histology assessment. At present, we are focused on achieving clear surgical margins of excision (CRM) to avoid local recurrence. We recommend that all patients with rectal cancer should undergo pre-operative MRI staging. Of these, about half will have good prognosis features (T1-T3b, N0, EMVI negative, CRM clear) and may safely undergo primary total mesorectal excision. Of the remainder, those with threatened or involved margins will certainly benefit from pre-operative chemoradiotherapy with the aim of downstaging to permit safe surgical excision. In the future, our ability to recognise features predicting distant failure, such as extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) may be used to stratify patients for neo-adjuvant systemic chemotherapy in an effort to prevent distant relapse. The optimal pre-operative treatment regimes for these patients (radiotherapy alone, systemic chemotherapy alone or combination chemo-radiotherapy) is the subject of current and future trials.

Surgery Today The Japanese Journal of Surgery

This month's selection from the October to December 1995 issues of Surgery Today (The Japanese Journal of Surgery) is written by Professor K. Sugimachi. A digest of the BJS for the same period, written by Mr Colin Johnson, appears in the Japanese journal.

Prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion in surgically cured rectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Surgery is considered curative in Dukes' B rectal cancer; however, many patients present with early relapse. To identify additional staging information, venous and lymphatic invasion were evaluated as potential prognostic factors.

METHODS

Patients with Dukes' B or C rectal disease treated between 1976 and 2001 at a single institution were compared. Patient and treatment characteristics and vascular invasion were documented. The impact of vessel invasion was determined using Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

There were 256 Dukes' B patients and 74 Dukes' C cases without vascular invasion. Five-year survival was 76.5% for Dukes' B and 57.1% for Dukes' C patients. Vessel involvement increased the risk of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.27, P = .0003) and death (HR = 3.11, P = .002) in B2 patients. The magnitude of these associations were comparable to that of C1 patients for recurrence (HR = 2.81, P = .004) and death (HR = 3.05, P = .005), as well as C2 patients for recurrence (HR = 3.45, P = .0008) and death (HR = 3.87, P = .0005).

CONCLUSION

Vascular invasion may be useful in characterizing patients with aggressive Dukes' B disease, who might benefit the most from adjuvant systemic therapy.

Incidence and survival of patients with Dukes' A (stages T1 and T2) colorectal carcinoma: a 15-year population-based study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Patients with stage I (Dukes' A) colorectal carcinoma tend to show a good prognosis; however, recurrences can be observed in some patients. Through a specialized colorectal cancer Registry, we attempted to investigate the epidemiological and clinical features of individuals with Dukes' A neoplasms.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1984 to 1998, 295 individuals were diagnosed with Stage I /Dukes' A tumors; 150 of these had lesions infiltrating the muscular wall (T2), while 145 had neoplasms limited to the submucosa (T1).

RESULTS

Dukes' A tumors represented 13.8% of all registered neoplasms; the percentage doubled over the study period (8.1% in the first year vs. 16.8% in the final year). In each year of observation, the preferential locations were the rectum and sigmoid colon (75% of all lesions). Most patients required surgery, but only 21.3% could be managed by endoscopic polypectomy. Overall 5-year survival was 81.0% (82.1% in T1, 80.0% in T2). Recurrences were seen in 6.8% (2.8% in T1, 10.7% in T2), while 36 patients (12.2%) died of causes unrelated to colorectal cancer. In 17 out of 20 patients who died of cancer, the lesions were localized in the rectosigmoid region. Survival analysis showed a significantly better prognosis (P<0.007) for patients with T1 tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of stage I colorectal tumors tended to increase over time. Although the overall prognosis is good in four-fifths of the cases, approximately one-fifth of these patients die of recurrent disease or of other causes. As expected, the prognosis was significantly more favorable for patients with T1 lesions. For patients with T2 tumors, radical surgery is the most appropriate approach.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) expression in human colorectal cancer tissues

Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) functions specifically to induce lymphangiogenesis. We examined the relationship between expression of VEGF-C and clinicopathological features in patients with colorectal cancer. The expression of VEGF-C in the 99 primary tumours and 18 metastatic lymph nodes from colorectal cancer patients was examined immunohistochemically. To verify VEGF-C mRNA expression, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out. The expression of VEGF-C correlated with lymphatic involvement, lymph nodes metastasis, and depth of invasion. On the other hand, correlations were nil with regard to gender of the patients, histologic type, venous involvement, and liver metastasis. The expression of VEGF-C in metastatic lymph nodes was fairly consistent with this expression in the primary tumour. Survival time was shorter for VEGF-C positive groups than for VEGF-C negative ones, but with no statistically significant difference. RT-PCR findings revealed that the expression of VEGF-C mRNA correlated mostly with that of VEGF-C protein expression. VEGF-C may play an important role in lymphatic spread of colorectal cancer.