Clinicopathological Studies of Mucinous Carcinoma of the Large Bowel

In our department, 491 cases of colorectal cancer have been surgically treated in the past 11 years. Twenty-seven (5.5 %) of those 491 cases were histologically confirmed mucinous carcinoma. Clinicopathological variables and nuclear DMA ploidy pattern of these 27cases (mucinous group) were compared with those of the remaining 464 cases (non-mucinous group). Mucinous carcinoma occurred more frequently in the right colon (48.1 %), and was larger in size (mean: 8.3cm) than in non-mucinous group. In macroscopic typing of the cancer, type 1, protuberant type, had a higher incidence (22 %) in the mucinous group. Lymph nodal metastasis, depth of cancer invasion, hepatic metastasis and Dukes' stage did not differ between the two groups. The incidence of peritoneal dissemination was higher in the mucinous group (15 %). Cumulative Five-year survival rate for the mucinous group (70 %) did not differ from that for the non-mucinous group (56 %). The survival rate for patient after curative resection was higher in the mucinous group (92 %) than non-mucinous group (68 %). Analysis of nuclear DNA ploidy patterns revealed a higher incidence of the diploid pattern in the mucinous group (57 %) than in non-mucinous group (41 %). These results indicate that the prognosis of colorectal mucinous carcinoma can be favorable if curative resection is carried out wherever possible.