Mucinous adenocarcinoma showing different clinicopathological and molecular characteristics in relation to different colorectal cancer subgroups

Abstract

Background: Mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) is frequently reported to be associated with patients of young-age sporadic colorectal cancer (YSCC) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). This study is aimed to investigate whether the clinicopathological characteristics of MAC of HNPCC patients are distinct from those of YSCC patients.

Patients and methods: Eighty-two HNPCC and 68 YSCC patients recorded in the colorectal cancer registry of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taiwan, between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2001 were included in this study. Clinicopathological and molecular variables of MAC and non-MAC of HNPCC and YSCC patients were compared accordingly.

Results: Compared to non-MAC, MAC significantly showed higher frequencies of poor differentiation (32% vs. 8.2%, p = 0.001), advanced tumor stage (76% vs. 47%, p = 0.002), loss of mismatch repair protein (MMR) expression (74% vs. 44%, p = 0.023), and increased MUC2 expression (98% vs. 61%, p < 0.001). MAC of HNPCC patients showed predominant right-sided colon involvement, whereas MAC of YSCC patients displayed predominance in the left colon (79% vs. 22%, p = 0.001). Among the non-MAC counterparts, more differences were detectable including tumor stage, loss of MMR expression, and increased MUC1 expression. Furthermore, both MAC and non-MAC of YSCC patients showed higher frequencies of advanced tumor stage (81% vs. 62%, p = 0.072). In contrast, the incidence of loss of MMR expression in MAC and non-MAC of HNPCC patients is not significantly different (86% vs. 70%, p = 0.323).

Conclusions: Significantly different tumor localization was observed between mucinous YSCC (left colon predominance) and mucinous HNPCC (right colon predominance).