Inflammation and prognosis in colorectal cancer

Klintrup, Kai; Mäkinen, Johanna M.; Kauppila, Saila; Väre, Päivi O.; Melkko, Jukka; Tuominen, Hannu; Tuppurainen, Karoliina; Mäkelä, Jyrki; Karttunen, Tuomo J.; Mäkinen, Markus J.

doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2005.07.017

« Previous Next »European Journal of Cancer
Volume 41, Issue 17 , Pages 2645-2654, November 2005

Inflammation and prognosis in colorectal cancer

Kai Klintrup
- Department of Surgery, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
Johanna M. Mäkinen
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
Saila Kauppila
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
Päivi O. Väre
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
Jukka Melkko
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
Hannu Tuominen
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
Karoliina Tuppurainen
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
Jyrki Mäkelä
- Department of Surgery, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
Tuomo J. Karttunen
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
Markus J. Mäkinen
- Department of Pathology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Oulu, FIN-90014, Finland
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +358 8 537 5943; fax: +358 8 537 5953.

Received 11 February 2005; received in revised form 12 July 2005; accepted 29 July 2005.

Abstract

Aim of the study

Previous work has indicated that quantification of inflammatory cell reaction is of prognostic value in colorectal cancer. We evaluated the prognostic significance of inflammatory cell reaction patterns in colorectal cancer and developed a grading method which could be used in the routine assessment of tumours.

Methods

The intensity of overall inflammatory cell reaction, numbers of neutrophilic and eosinophilic granulocytes, lymphoid cells and macrophages in both the central region and the invasive margin were estimated in 386 colorectal cancer patients. Prognostic significance was analysed by uni- and multivariate analysis.

Results

Our method for classification of inflammatory reaction was reliable. High-grade inflammation at the invasive margin in Dukes’ stage A and B cancers (pT1-2N0 and pT3N0, respectively) was associated with better 5-year-survival (87.6%) than low-grade inflammation (47.0%).

Conclusions

Inflammatory cell response at the invasive border is a relevant prognostic indicator and could be easily incorporated into the routine evaluation of histopathological specimens.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer, Inflammation, Prognosis