title: Carcinoembryonic antigen staining patterns at the invasive tumor margin predict the malignant potential of colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: Immunohistochemical carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) staining patterns at the invasive tumor margin were correlated with malignant potential in 64 advanced colorectal carcinomas. Twenty-two (34%) carcinomas showed an apical and 42 (66%) a cytoplasmic staining pattern. Carcinomas with a cytoplasmic pattern had a higher incidence of lymph node (71 versus 41%; p < 0.05) and liver (50 versus 23%; p < 0.05) metastasis and higher levels of serum CEA (p < 0.01) than those with an apical staining pattern. Nine of 11 recurrent tumors had a cytoplasmic pattern and 2 had an apical pattern (p < 0.05). Among carcinomas having the same degree of differentiation, those with a cytoplasmic CEA staining pattern were more aggressive. Six (55%) well-differentiated carcinomas with a cytoplasmic pattern metastasized to the liver while none with an apical pattern did (p < 0.05). Moderately differentiated carcinomas with a cytoplasmic pattern had a significantly higher incidence of lymph node metastasis than those with an apical pattern (77 versus 46%; p < 0.05). When colorectal carcinomas are examined at the invasive tumor margin, an evaluation of the CEA staining pattern is useful in recognizing carcinomas having a higher potential to metastasize and recur after curative surgery.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haruma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sumii
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kajiyama
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen