ISSN:
1530-0358
Keywords:
Age
;
Elderly
;
Colon cancer
;
Flow cytometric analysis
;
Age-site relationship
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract PURPOSE: A prospective study of colorectal cancer (1987–1991) using flow cytometry was performed to determine the relationship of age with DNA index (DNA-I), sites of disease, Dukes stage, grade, and survival. METHODS: The flow cytometry was performed on 138 fresh, unfixed, surgical specimens using 4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole, a DNA fluorochrome. RESULTS: The mean age was 66.9 (42.8 percent ≥ 70; range, 22–92; median, 68) years, and 48.6 percent were female. The patients' stages were (in percent): A, 4.4; B, 53.0; C, 38.2; D, 4.4. Tumor grades of differentiation (in percent) were: well, 14.4; moderate, 68.9; poor, 16.7; and sites (in percent) were: rectum, 19.6; sigmoid/left, 50.7; transverse/right, 29.0. Aneuploidy (DNA-I ⊋1.0; CV, 3.5 percent) was found in 58.8 percent. Age (by decade of presentation) was compared with site and Dukes stage. Older patients had more transverse/rightsided lesions (P=0.003). Patients with Dukes C and D tumors had a lower age (by decade of presentation) than patients with B2 lesions (P=0.03). Age was not related to DNA-I or grade or DNA-I with sex, grade, site, stage, or survival (P〉0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study suggests that colorectal cancer tends to present at an earlier stage and in the more proximal colon in the older population. Because right-sided lesions are beyond the reach of sigmoidoscopy, these findings have prognostic and screening implications.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02257798
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