| [ Summary ] |
The rates for cancer cell involvement in regionallymph node of colorectal cancer vary greatly, depending on method of diagnosis. Conventional histopathologic diagnosis has long been relied on, however, immunohistochemistry or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis can detect micrometastasis, which may be a useful prognostic factor and serve as a selective marker for intensive postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. However, some authors have reported that micrometastasis does not influence patients' prognoses if the involved lymph nodes are removed. Therefore, reliable information derived from randomized controlled trials is still required.
On the other hand, focused examination of the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) as a means of detecting nodal micrometastasis, is a novel method of staging colorectal cancer. The combination of histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry, and RT-PCR may further increase the accuracy of staging. |