MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF COLORECTAL-CANCER

Thirteen nuclear and cellular morphometric variables were measured in 312 cases of colorectal adenocarcinoma. All variables, except nuclear shape factors, differed significantly (P < 0.001) between normal color ectal and tumor tissue. In adenocarcinomas, epithelial nuclei in well- differentiated mucosa tended to be elliptic, while those in poorly dif ferentiated mucosa were more spheric. Increasing values of maximum nuc lear and elliptic diameter were associated with progression from none to simple tubule configuration (P < 0.001) none to easily discerned nu clear polarity (P < 0.001), and expanding growth pattern (P < 0.001). Univariate survival analysis revealed that none of the morphometric va riables was significantly related to patient survival. Multivariate re gression analysis showed that no morphometric variable could add signi ficantly to a model containing the variables of patient age, Dukes sta ge, and tumor differentiation. Morphometry may be useful in distinguis hing malignant from normal tissue and degrees of differentiation, but it is of little prognostic value in colorectal adenocarcinoma.