High-grade colon cancer is associated with worse outcomes compared to low-grade disease, according to a study of over 900 colon cancer patients. The study found that high-grade colon cancer doubled the risk of lymph node and distant metastasis compared to low-grade disease. Patients with high-grade colon cancer also had double the risk of colon cancer-related mortality, even after accounting for disease stage. High tumor grade was identified as an independent factor that significantly influences colon cancer outcomes and mortality.

1. Effect of High-Grade Disease on Colon
Cancer Outcomes
02/03/15
10th
Annual Academic Surgical Congress, February 3-5 2015, Las Vegas, NV
07 - QuickShot: Clinical Research - Oncology
Ramzi Amri, MD1,2
Liliana G Bordeianou, MD, MPH1,2
Patricia Sylla, MD1,2
and
David L Berger, MD 1,2
1
Massachusetts General Hospital, Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery.
2
Harvard Medical School, Department of Surgery.
Disclosures: none

2. Introduction
• Tumor grade is a cardinal surgical pathological
characteristic of any malignancy.
• High-grade disease invariably has a negative
impact on the eventual outcomes of the
concerned malignancy.
• We aimed to measure the magnitude of its
influence as well as its stage-independent effect
in colon cancer.

3. Methods
• Included:
• Surgical colon cancer patients at MGH 2004-2011 with known
disease grade (n=961)
• Comparison
• Baseline pathology:
• RR of nodal and distant metastasis
• Outcomes:
• Risk of recurrence,
• Overall and disease-specific mortality
• Statistical analysis
• Ordinal: χ2
, continuous: Mann Whitney U
• Multivariate: logistic regression, AJCC-adjusted

4. Results

5. Conclusions
• High-grade disease on baseline colon cancer surgical
pathology is associated with a considerably higher rate
of nodal and distant metastasis.
• Colon cancer-related mortality doubles for patients with
high-grade disease.
• All of these findings were shown to be independent of
baseline staging.
 High tumor grade is a stage-independent factor greatly
influencing colon cancer outcomes and mortality.

6. Questions?

7. Questions?