CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF COLORECTAL MUCINOUS CARCINOMA IN TAIWAN - A MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS

The clinicopathological significance of colorectal mucinous carcinoma is controversial, although some authors feel mucinous carcinoma has a worse prognosis than that of non-mucinous carcinoma. To clarify the si gnificance of this type of carcinoma in Taiwan, a retrospective review of patients with colorectal carcinoma treated at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1984 and 1988 was undertaken. During this period, 53 mucinous carcinomas and 401 non-mucinous carcinomas fulfilling the inc lusion criteria were analysed. Mucinous carcinomas were more common in patients 39 years of age or under (P<0.005). Most mucinous carcinomas were located in the rectum/rectosigmoid, followed by the right colon; however, the right colon had a higher relative incidence (38 vs 8%, r espectively; P<0.005). Mucinous carcinomas presented at a significantl y more advanced stage (23 vs 8%, respectively, stage D disease; P<0.00 5) and had a markedly lower curative resection rate (68 us 84%, respec tively; P<0.05). Following curative resection, mucinous carcinomas ten ded to have an increased incidence of subsequent distant metastasis (2 7.8 vs 18.8%, respectively; P<0.005). The overall survival rate of pat ients with mucinous carcinoma was worse than that of non-mucinous carc inoma (P<0.005). Multivariate analysis showed that clinically importan t predictive factors were stage of disease on diagnosis and subsequent distant metastasis. The mucinous histological type itself was not an independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer.