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The measured distance between tumor cells and the peritoneal surface predicts the risk of peritoneal metastases and offers an objective means to differentiate between pT3 and pT4a colon cancer

Zwanenburg, Emma S. ; Wisselink, Daniel D. ; Klaver, Charlotte E.L. ; van der Bilt, Jarmila D.W. ; Tanis, Pieter J. and Snaebjornsson, Petur (2022) In Modern Pathology 35(12). p.1991-2001
Abstract

Substantial variability exists in what pathologists consider as pT4a in colorectal cancer when tumor cells are within 1 mm of the free peritoneal surface. This study aimed to determine if the measured sub-millimeter distance between tumor cells and the free peritoneal surface would offer an objective means of stratifying patients according to the risk of developing peritoneal metastases. Histological slides of patients included in the COLOPEC trial, with resectable primary c/pT4N0-2M0 colon cancer, were centrally reassessed. Specific tumor morphological variables were collected, including distance from tumor to free peritoneal surface, measured in micrometers (µm). The primary outcome, 3-year peritoneal metastasis rate, was compared... (More)

Substantial variability exists in what pathologists consider as pT4a in colorectal cancer when tumor cells are within 1 mm of the free peritoneal surface. This study aimed to determine if the measured sub-millimeter distance between tumor cells and the free peritoneal surface would offer an objective means of stratifying patients according to the risk of developing peritoneal metastases. Histological slides of patients included in the COLOPEC trial, with resectable primary c/pT4N0-2M0 colon cancer, were centrally reassessed. Specific tumor morphological variables were collected, including distance from tumor to free peritoneal surface, measured in micrometers (µm). The primary outcome, 3-year peritoneal metastasis rate, was compared between four groups of patients stratified for relation of tumor cells to the peritoneum: 1) Full peritoneal penetration with tumor cells on the peritoneal surface, 2) 0–99 µm distance to the peritoneum, 3) 100–999 µm to the peritoneum, and 4) ≥1000 µm to the peritoneum, by using Kaplan-Meier analysis. In total, 189 cases were included in the present analysis. Cases with full peritoneal penetration (n = 89), 0–99 µm distance to the peritoneal surface (n = 34), 100–999 µm distance (n = 33), and ≥1000 µm distance (n = 33), showed significantly different 3-year peritoneal metastases rates of 25% vs 29% vs 6% vs 12%, respectively (Log Rank, p = 0.044). N-category did not influence the risk of peritoneal metastases in patients with a tumor distance beyond 100 µm, while only the N2 category seemed to result in an additive risk in patients with a distance of 0–99 µm. The findings of this study suggest that the measured shortest distance between tumor cells and the free peritoneal surface is useful as an objective means of stratifying patients according to the risk of developing peritoneal metastases. This simple measurement is practical and may help in providing a precise definition of pT4a. Trial registration: NCT02231086 (Clinicaltrials.gov).

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LU
author collaboration
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Modern Pathology
volume
35
issue
12
pages
1991 - 2001
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85138335795
  • pmid:36123540
ISSN
0893-3952
DOI
10.1038/s41379-022-01154-z
language
English
LU publication?
no
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Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to United States & Canadian Academy of Pathology.
id
85540c98-7302-4381-81f5-4a4e0283387a
date added to LUP
2022-10-10 21:52:16
date last changed
2024-06-13 13:32:16
@article{85540c98-7302-4381-81f5-4a4e0283387a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Substantial variability exists in what pathologists consider as pT4a in colorectal cancer when tumor cells are within 1 mm of the free peritoneal surface. This study aimed to determine if the measured sub-millimeter distance between tumor cells and the free peritoneal surface would offer an objective means of stratifying patients according to the risk of developing peritoneal metastases. Histological slides of patients included in the COLOPEC trial, with resectable primary c/pT4N0-2M0 colon cancer, were centrally reassessed. Specific tumor morphological variables were collected, including distance from tumor to free peritoneal surface, measured in micrometers (µm). The primary outcome, 3-year peritoneal metastasis rate, was compared between four groups of patients stratified for relation of tumor cells to the peritoneum: 1) Full peritoneal penetration with tumor cells on the peritoneal surface, 2) 0–99 µm distance to the peritoneum, 3) 100–999 µm to the peritoneum, and 4) ≥1000 µm to the peritoneum, by using Kaplan-Meier analysis. In total, 189 cases were included in the present analysis. Cases with full peritoneal penetration (n = 89), 0–99 µm distance to the peritoneal surface (n = 34), 100–999 µm distance (n = 33), and ≥1000 µm distance (n = 33), showed significantly different 3-year peritoneal metastases rates of 25% vs 29% vs 6% vs 12%, respectively (Log Rank, p = 0.044). N-category did not influence the risk of peritoneal metastases in patients with a tumor distance beyond 100 µm, while only the N2 category seemed to result in an additive risk in patients with a distance of 0–99 µm. The findings of this study suggest that the measured shortest distance between tumor cells and the free peritoneal surface is useful as an objective means of stratifying patients according to the risk of developing peritoneal metastases. This simple measurement is practical and may help in providing a precise definition of pT4a. Trial registration: NCT02231086 (Clinicaltrials.gov).</p>}},
  author       = {{Zwanenburg, Emma S. and Wisselink, Daniel D. and Klaver, Charlotte E.L. and van der Bilt, Jarmila D.W. and Tanis, Pieter J. and Snaebjornsson, Petur}},
  issn         = {{0893-3952}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1991--2001}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Modern Pathology}},
  title        = {{The measured distance between tumor cells and the peritoneal surface predicts the risk of peritoneal metastases and offers an objective means to differentiate between pT3 and pT4a colon cancer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41379-022-01154-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41379-022-01154-z}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}