Mucinous colorectal carcinoma: immunopathology and prognosis.
A total of 519 colorectal carcinomas were examined for the presence or absence of mucinous differentiation by means of microscopical morphometry. Of these, 28% had objectively measurable amounts of mucinous tumour epithelium. Tumours with > 50% mucinous areas (14%) had significantly poorer prognosis than non-mucinous in stages A and C, while mucinous differentiation did not correlate with prognosis in stages B and D. Lymph nodes regional to mucinous tumours had significantly less paracortical response, and those with < 50% mucinous differentiation, significantly less perivascular lymphocyte cuffing at the tumour margins. These lymph node and stromal compartments are putative T-lymphocyte areas, and hence our findings suggest that mucinous tumours are either less stimulatory or perhaps inhibitory of cell-mediated immunity.
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*