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. 2018 Dec;17(4):e699-e709.
doi: 10.1016/j.clcc.2018.07.005. Epub 2018 Jul 17.

Prognostic Implications of Mucinous Differentiation in Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma Can Be Explained by Distinct Molecular and Clinicopathologic Characteristics

Maliha Khan  1 , Jonathan M Loree  2 , Shailesh M Advani  3 , Jing Ning  4 , Wen Li  4 , Allan A L Pereira  2 , Michael Lam  2 , Kanwal Raghav  2 , Van K Morris  2 , Russell Broaddus  5 , Dipen Maru  5 , Michael J Overman  2 , Scott Kopetz  6
Affiliations

Prognostic Implications of Mucinous Differentiation in Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma Can Be Explained by Distinct Molecular and Clinicopathologic Characteristics

Maliha Khan et al. Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The mucinous histologic subtype accounts for 5% to 20% of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases but remains poorly characterized. The present study characterized the baseline characteristics, mutational profile, and clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with mucinous CRC.

Materials and methods: We identified 1877 patients with metastatic CRC with available histologic findings and molecular profiling and summarized the baseline clinical and pathologic characteristics and overall survival (OS) stratified by the histologic type. The data from separate cohorts with consensus molecular subtype (CMS) and CpG island methylator information were also summarized.

Results: The mucinous histologic type was found in 277 of the 1877 patients (14.8%) and was associated with an increased prevalence of microsatellite instability (P < .001) and a right-sided primary (P < .001). An increased frequency of CMS1 (microsatellite instability immune) and lower rates of CMS2 (canonical) were identified, with mucinous compared with nonmucinous adenocarcinoma (P < .0001). Mutations in SMAD4 (P < .001), GNAS (P < .001), ERBB2 (P = .02), BRAF (P < .001), and KRAS (P < .001) occurred at greater frequencies in the mucinous CRC cases, and TP53 (P < .001), APC (P < .001), and NRAS mutations (P = .03) were less common. Univariate (hazard ratio [HR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.63; P < .001) and multivariate analysis (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.12-1.64; P = .002) demonstrated that the mucinous histologic type is associated with worse OS. The features associated with the mucinous histologic subtype were independent predictors for shorter OS, including BRAF (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.35-2.25; P < .001) and KRAS (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.22-1.65; P < .001) mutations, right-sided location (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.04-1.39; P = .01), and synchronous metastases (HR, 2.92; 95% CI, 2.49-3.42; P < .001).

Conclusion: Compared with nonmucinous adenocarcinoma, the mucinous histologic type is associated with a worse prognosis, even when controlling for known prognostic features. This unique biologic behavior should be considered in the treatment and prognostic assessment of patients with CRC.

Keywords: Consensus molecular subtype; Histologic type; Mucinous colorectal adenocarcinoma; Mutation; Prognosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The distribution of Consensus Molecular Subtypes among patients with mucinous CRC compared to patients with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Prevalence of mutations according to histology. *** stands for p-value <0.001 and ** stands for p value <0.02
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Association of co-occurring mutations. The thickness of the connecting lines indicates the frequency with which the two mutations co-occur in mucinous CRC (A) and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma (B). Abbreviations = CT1, CTNNB1; ER2, ERBB2; ER4, ERBB4; RAS, KRAS; SM, SMAD4; B600, BRAFV600; Bm, BRAF-mutated; Bn, BRAF-nonV600.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Kaplan-Meier estimates for overall survival of mucinous CRC patients as compared with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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