Tumor Budding at the Invasive Margin Can Predict Patients at High Risk of Recurrence After Curative Surgery for Stage II, T3 Colon Cancer

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify indicators that can predict patients at high risk of tumor recurrence in Stage II, T3 colon cancer. METHODS: A total of 138 patients classified as Stage II, T3 underwent curative resection of colon cancer between 1981 and 1993. Clinical variables included age, gender, bowel obstruction, tumor location, and emergency presentation. For each colon tumor specimen, the following histopathological variables were assessed: maximum tumor diameter ( RESULTS: Among the factors analyzed, tumor budding was the only factor that was significantly associated with recurrence and survival. The numbers of patients with BD-1 and BD-2 tumors were 111 and 27, respectively. Forty-eight percent of BD-2 tumor patients developed recurrence, compared with 4.5 percent of BD-1 tumor patients (P < 0.0001). The cumulative disease-specific survival rates at five years for patients with BD-1 and BD-2 tumors were 98 and 74 percent, respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The presence of moderate or severe budding at the invasive margin in Stage II, T3 colon cancer indicated a high risk of tumor recurrence after curative surgery, providing useful information for the decision regarding postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.