title: Characteristics in primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colorectum, from clinicopathological observations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The biological behavior of signet-ring cell carcinomas in colorectum tends to be worse than that of mucinous carcinomas. However, in previous studies, clinicopathological features of this disease have been somewhat ill-defined because various histological criteria of this disease were adopted.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 11 cases of signet-ring cell carcinomas and 29 cases of mucinous carcinomas among 1595 consecutive colorectal carcinomas on defined criteria and compared clinicopathological and molecular biological features between these two types of carcinomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical staging of signet-ring cell carcinomas were far advanced and their prognosis tended to be worse than that of mucinous carcinomas. Furthermore, the incidence of K-ras mutations in signet-ring cell and mucinous carcinomas showed no difference between these two types of carcinomas. However, the incidence of K-ras mutation in these diseases was slightly lower than that in 30 ordinary colorectal carcinomas examined as a comparison.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the carcinogenesis of signet-ring cell and mucinous carcinomas are different from that of ordinary colorectal carcinomas and that there may exist other genes related to malignancy of signet-ring cell carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, University of Tokyo, Japan. SASAKI-ISU@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Umetani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Futakawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muto
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate