title: Significance of the mucinous component in the histopathological classification of colon cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mucinous carcinoma is often independently classified as a histological type of colon cancer, but there are currently no established diagnostic criteria. The relationship between the proportions of mucinous components to the oncological outcomes was examined to determine whether mucinous carcinoma should be classified as an independent histological type.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 1,038 patients with colon cancer. The relationships between the survival rates and recurrence patterns with the mucinous component area ratio (MC area ratio) and clinical variables were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumors were classified into three groups: Group 1 (MC area ratio, 0 %), Group 2 (1-49 %), and Group 3 (≥50 %). Of the 1038 tumors studied, 877 (84 %) were classified as Group 1, 123 (12 %) as Group 2, and 38 (4 %) as Group 3. The tumor size was significantly larger in Group 3, and an increased MC area ratio was significantly related to a higher proportion of right-sided tumors. Among patients with stage II or III disease, stage III disease, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and no adjuvant chemotherapy were poor prognostic factors. There was no relationship between the MC area ratio and the survival or recurrence pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mucinous carcinoma does not need to be classified as a separate histological type from ordinary differentiated adenocarcinoma.
authors: Departments of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan.
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Maeda
authors: Departments of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan. sadahiro@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp.
authors: Sotaro
authors: S
authors: Sadahiro
authors: Departments of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan.
authors: Toshiyuki
authors: T
authors: Suzuki
authors: Department of Basic Medical Science, Tokai University, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Yasuo
authors: Y
authors: Haruki
authors: Department of Pathology, Tokai University, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Naoya
authors: N
authors: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000145:classification* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012008:Recurrence; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Colon cancer; Histological type; Mucinous carcinoma; Mucinous component