Absence of extramural venous invasion is an excellent predictor of metastasis-free survival in colorectal carcinoma stage II—a study using tangential tissue sectioning

Abstract

Tangential sectioning of the tumour periphery in CRC stage II yields a high rate of histologically evaluable extramural veins and permits proper assessment of EVI. Absence of EVI is significantly associated with metastasis-free survival, a finding of potential therapeutic value. On the other hand, one-third of the patients with EVI and circumferential tumour growth develop MHM, a setting in which the option for adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered. This study emphasises the importance of tangential sectioning of the invasive tumour front in CRC compared with the recommended perpendicular technique. The sensitivity and specificity of this method regarding MHM are characterised.