The morfologic features of DUKES ‘ classification , depth of penetration through the bowel wall and metastasis to lymph nodes and the growth pattern of tumor were studyed to evaluate their prognostic significance in 320 patients with colorectal cancer. Cancers were called expansive when the invasive margin was pushing or node circunscribed and infiltrative when the tumor invaded in a diffuse manner with widespread penetration of normal tissues. Significant correlations were observed between expansive growth and free lymph nodes (90,2%) as well as with DUKES’Stage A (70,4%) and with a small rate of metastasis (12,5%).The five-year survival rate was 83,5% for patients with expansive growth and 49,8% for infiltrative growth pattern.In the same DUKES Class , the five-year survival was significantly higher for patients with expansive growth pattern, made possible the identification of patients sub groups within the same stage of disease.
Colon; Rectum; Neoplasms; Prognosis
